Two Australian students shot after trying to buy drugs in New Orleans

theguardian.com

Two university students from Western Australia have been shot in New Orleans after venturing into the West Bank area to buy drugs.

The men had competed in the 38th Intercollegiate Mining Games in Montana as part of the Wombats team representing Curtin University’s WA School of Mines and had travelled to New Orleans for a private holiday. Curtin vice-chancellor Deborah Terry said both students were in hospital and were reported to be in a stable condition. New Orleans police said the men are aged 21 and 23, and had taken a taxi to the Algiers area, which is one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, to meet with a drug dealer at about 4.15am on Wednesday.

At some point during the meeting, one of the students was shot in the stomach while the other was shot in the chest.

When I first read about this incident I thought, poor blokes, just trying to have a little fun well visiting the states.

But then I googled Algiers, New Orleans and this is what Wikipedia said about the area..

wikipedia.org

Throughout the 90s decade crime increased 15% with a 12% increase in violent crime and murder. By 2012 crime extended to other Algiers communities like Tall Timbers. In one month of 2014, Algiers had a total of 15 armed robberies, 20 shootings (two fatal), and 47 cases of simple battery. [14] At the end of 2015 Algiers homicides jumped to 21 murders, the highest death toll of any neighborhood in America.

lol, so these geniuses have potentially ventured into one of the most dangerous area's in America to attempt to purchase some bud or coke (or whatever)!

I hate that phrase "Darwin award", but I can't think of any other more appropriate way to describe what these guys did... I'm lost to why it wouldn't have occurred to these guys at some point that they weren't in Australia anymore and there are just some areas in the US where no one who isn't a local should go, let alone as a foreign tourist at 4am in the morning looking to score.

Just when I think I can't be surprised about peoples lack of intelligence anymore...

Oh dear Lord!!

They must have already been high, surely?

Listen kids, guns don't kill people, drugs do. Serious.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

You know I do feel bad for those two and any others that get caught up in a the criminal element of drugs use. Quite frankly if we decriminalized, and we educated, and rehabilitated likely people wouldn't be getting shot trying to score some dope instead they would get it from an establishment. So many things could be fixed this way, and that is what I support, glad the two are alive and I'm sure they are being treated with the top healthcare around.

This is too bad. They should have come to Cali instead. You can go online pick out what green medications you want, make a phone call and it will be delivered within an hour by a polite driver.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Had to already have been severely inebriated/intoxicated. No way those guys would've had the courage (I am assuming they were white) to venture into any part of NoLa outside of the quarter. And I'm sure they weren't hoodwinked into believing they were going to the garden district to buy drugs. They prolly were in the quarter, told they could get some dope, but not under the nose of the cops in the quarter, so they hitched a ride with their savvy dope dealer who took them into Algiers to rob em...hopefully they have a speedy recovery.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

I always felt that if you are going to be in a foreign country it wouldn't be wise to break the law. I feel bad for these two, but damn that was stupid.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

they thought they were going to a party, not to score drugs, they had no cash on them.

Needless to say, that's probably not a smart thing to do in any foreign country, but especially in a city in that country with a well known violent crime problem including a homicide rate 10 times the national average. This case is a prime example of the basic circumstances under which a fairly high percentage of homicides in this country occur. At any rate, I can't say I feel sorry for them. I don't have sympathy for stupidity.

originally posted by: TechniXcality
a reply to: Subaeruginosa

You know I do feel bad for those two and any others that get caught up in a the criminal element of drugs use. Quite frankly if we decriminalized, and we educated, and rehabilitated likely people wouldn't be getting shot trying to score some dope instead they would get it from an establishment. So many things could be fixed this way, and that is what I support, glad the two are alive and I'm sure they are being treated with the top healthcare around.

Jesus christ man, we agree on something, thanks for writing so nicely what my terrible english won't let me do eheh.

Have one on me

Thats different to the story i heard..

i heard they didn't take taxi out there, that they got into the car with the drug dealer, he drove them out there then demanded hundreds of dollars

The mother of one of the sons is denying it was drug related..

and being they are miners (drugged tested very often and fired if found positive) i dont see why theyd go and find drugs when on a work sponsored mining trip

I'm sorry, but this is hilarious.

Who goes to buy drugs without money?

Who would leave a bar in New Orleans with a stranger - - in his car?

Is anyone that naive?

Something doesn't seem right with this story.

I have found it beneficial when traveling to get local input on which areas of the city are best avoided.

originally posted by: TechniXcality
a reply to: Subaeruginosa

You know I do feel bad for those two and any others that get caught up in a the criminal element of drugs use. Quite frankly if we decriminalized, and we educated, and rehabilitated likely people wouldn't be getting shot trying to score some dope instead they would get it from an establishment. So many things could be fixed this way, and that is what I support, glad the two are alive and I'm sure they are being treated with the top healthcare around.

Yeah, but then you gotta see heroin shops when you're just walking around downtown. I like the facts that drugs are illegal because it keeps them out of view. I live in a state where marijuana is illegal and it's in public everywhere now. Marijuana is one thing. If coc aine, heroin, etc. were also openly used then I coudn't live here.

originally posted by: angeldoll
I have found it beneficial when traveling to get local input on which areas of the city are best avoided.

Don't most people?

Something just doesn't add up.

I'm pretty good in a fight and I avoid Algiers when I'm in NOLA.

I certainly wouldn't buy drugs there in some alley with people I didn't know. A lot of people end up floating down the canals in the NOLA area, it's not a nice place.

originally posted by: Annee

originally posted by: angeldoll
I have found it beneficial when traveling to get local input on which areas of the city are best avoided.

Don't most people?

Something just doesn't add up.

I think they were too trusting, or maybe were set up.

My daughter is going to school in NOLA, and I've been worried for 4 years. Unfortunately she will be moving to D.C. Not much an improvement in my eyes!

I do feel badly for these kids who were most likely drunk already, but the only reason this has gotten any press is because they are tourists. Those stats the OP mentioned - no way would those 2 would've known what area is bad and what area is ok. Combine that with the "Imortality Complex" most young adults have, and the general party atmosphere of the French Quarter or Bourbon Street - they probably thought they'd be just fine. I really feel sorry for the people who live there and die every day because of drugs and gang violence, etc. They have no way out - for whatever reason.

a reply to: RedDragon

Herion shops? You mean cvs pharmacy, Walgreens? who are already implicit on distributing some of the most hard core opiates, much more powerful than herion - such as fentanyl? These places already exist, unfortunately only if you are processed in a system that on one hand punishes use, but on the other hand promotes addiction, do you think this duality is healthy for our society? Should we be surprised that we have such a rampant drug problem when we jail drug offenses that are a victimless crime? The war on drugs had just been a way to support a bloated prison system without actually helping or addressing any of the root causes which primarily can blamed on our policy's.

Ummm. I live here. And I doubt that internationals would leave the party center(French quarter bourbon street) to go to a party all the way in Algiers. Yea.
They were prob hustled to get in the car. And I am glad they are alive. But never get in a car with strangers. To buy drugs. To go somewhere else. That sounds so shady.