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New Orleans police say a pair of Australians were shot in the city’s west.
Two university students from Western Australia have been shot while holidaying in New Orleans in the US.
The students 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.
The New Orleans Advocate reports the two men, aged 21 and 23, were shot about 4.15am local time on Tuesday in the city’s West Bank area.
Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said one of the men was shot in the stomach, and the other in the chest. Police said both were listed in stable condition at a New Orleans hospital.
A police report says the pair were involved in a drug deal gone wrong.
They took a taxi to meet a drug dealer and “at some point during the interaction, both men sustained gunshot wounds,†the police report says.
Curtin vice-chancellor Deborah Terry said both students were in hospital and were reported to be in a stable condition.
Professor Terry said both students’ families had been contacted and were arranging to travel to the US, where support would be offered by School of Mines director Sam Spearing.
“Support is also being provided to the others in the group who were not in the vicinity of the shooting and are unharmed,†she said.
“This is a very distressing situation and our thoughts are with the injured students and their families.â€
Additional reporting: AAP