New Orleans has ‘spirit of murder’ hovering over the city, says pastor whose son was killed in shooting
A Louisiana pastor whose 20-year-old son was killed by gun violence says a “spirit of murder” has taken hold of New Orleans and the nation, contributing to a surge in violent crime.
“There’s a spirit of murder at work in this city and in our nation,” the Rev. Orin D. Grant Sr., senior pastor of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, told Fox News, adding that he's building a team in the community to promote peer mediation and conflict resolution.
Grant's 20-year-old son, Orin D. Grant Jr., was shot and killed in August 2022, just blocks away from the church where he played drums every Sunday.
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New Orleans is in the grip of a dangerous and deceptive time, the pastor said, with carjackings and homicides more than doubling since 2019, attributing it to several factors, including drug use, mental illness and easy access to firearms, particularly among young people.
The pastor lamented that young people are often victims of society and are exposed to violence from an early age. There’s a “mind-your-business clause” among young people, he added, explaining that they are hesitant to speak to the police about what they know about a crime for fear of retaliation.
“I got a security director because these are the times we live in. People even come into churches and do stuff,” added Grant, who has been working for peace on the streets in the community since before his son’s death. He now wants to address the issue of violent crime by building a team of community members and organizing rallies and seminars on peer mediation and conflict resolution.
Grant emphasized the importance of cooperation between community members, law enforcement and city officials to address gun violence. “We have to take ownership of our neighborhoods again and run drug dealers out. Run criminals out.”
Speaking about his son’s killing, he said, “It’s a tough pill to swallow. I sleep with him on my mind. I wake up with him on my mind.”
He added, “We have to respect life. We have to respect one another.”
As previously reported by The Christian Post, Grant explained that his son was at his girlfriend’s house and might have been “lured out of the house” when he was shot.
“In the backyard of his girlfriend’s house. He was shot by two individuals multiple times,” he said at the time.
The pastor also said he would like to tell the person who killed his son that “violence is not the answer.”
“The negative use of weapons is not the answer. God renders forgiveness. Find peace with God,” Grant said at the time.
