NEW ORLEANS, LA — New Orleans police are investigating the death of a 69-year-old man found outside a Walgreens on South Claiborne Avenue early Sunday morning. Officers said he had visible injuries when they arrived, and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene after the case was later classified as a homicide.

The Facts

• What: Police are investigating the death of a 69-year-old man as a homicide after he was found outside a Walgreens.
• Where: The store is in the 4400 block of South Claiborne Avenue, near Napoleon Avenue, in New Orleans.
• When: Officers were called just before 7 a.m. Sunday.
• Who: The victim is a 69-year-old man. His name has not been released.
• Charges: No arrest or criminal charge has been announced.
• Status: The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office will determine the exact cause of death and identify the victim after family notification.

What police say

The New Orleans Police Department said officers found the man lying on the ground with bruises and bleeding from the head. Paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced him dead outside the store.

Investigators have not said exactly how the man was killed. Police said the case was treated as a homicide about 9 a.m., after the initial response and scene processing began.

Officers taped off part of the parking lot and the sidewalk leading into the store. Evidence markers were placed around the area as detectives documented what they believed could matter to the investigation.

The investigation

Police said roughly 20 evidence markers were placed in and around the Walgreens parking lot. Some were near crushed prescription pill bottles on the pavement, suggesting investigators were closely examining the immediate area where the man was found.

At this stage, police have not publicly described a suspect, a motive, or whether anyone has been detained. In a homicide inquiry, detectives typically collect physical evidence, review surveillance video if available, and speak with witnesses or nearby businesses that may have seen movement before or after the incident.

Anyone with information about the case would normally be asked to contact the New Orleans Police Department or Crime Stoppers, though no specific tip line was included in the information released here. In cases like this, even small details about time, vehicles, or people seen near the scene can help investigators narrow the timeline.

What the charges mean

When police classify a death as a homicide, it means investigators believe the death was caused by another person, whether intentionally or through other criminal conduct. That label does not by itself identify a suspect or determine what charge, if any, may follow.

If detectives make an arrest, prosecutors would decide whether the facts support a charge such as murder, manslaughter, or another offense under Louisiana law. The exact charge depends on what the evidence shows about intent, conduct, and the circumstances surrounding the death.

Before a case reaches court, investigators usually finish gathering evidence, the coroner completes the autopsy or death review, and prosecutors review the file. If an arrest is made, a defendant would then face court proceedings where the charges are formally presented.

What happens next

The coroner’s findings are expected to establish the man’s exact cause of death and confirm his identity once family members have been notified. Those results can be important in determining whether the death involved blunt-force trauma, another injury, or a different cause.

Police said the investigation remains open. Detectives are still working to piece together what happened in the parking lot before dawn and whether the man was attacked, injured in some other way, or involved in another encounter before he died.

Have information on a crime? Contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).