Dad Murdered While Waiting to Pick Up Son in Church Parking Lot

A Louisiana father was gunned down in front of a church day care while waiting to pick up his child — and police say the suspected killer is now clinging to life after turning the gun on himself.

The New Orleans Police Department identified the victim as Carl Morgan, 36, a beloved sous chef at Brennan’s Restaurant. He was shot multiple times Tuesday evening in what investigators described as a botched carjacking.

Police say 23-year-old Raymond Wells opened fire on Morgan in the parking lot of a church and nursery on Canal Street around 5 p.m., before fleeing in the victim’s car.

“It was a truly horrible scene and a horrible crime,” NOPD Chief of Detectives Nicholas Gernon said. “The victim was simply in the parking lot picking up his child from nursery when Mr. Wells tried to carjack him and subsequently killed him.”

Using the department’s automatic license plate readers, officers tracked Morgan’s stolen car to the side of Interstate 10, where they found Wells inside — shot in the head. Authorities have not confirmed whether his injury was self-inflicted. He was rushed to a hospital in “extremely grave condition” but is expected to face first-degree murder charges if he survives.

Police are still investigating who fired the bullet that struck Wells.

Gernon added that investigators believe Wells may have been prowling the area and breaking into cars just before the deadly encounter. “Some individuals saw [Wells], and for some reason he opened fire on them,” he said. “Then he fled to the back side of the church where he encountered our carjacking victim.”

The killing has devastated Morgan’s friends and coworkers, who say the devoted dad’s world revolved around his young son.

“What was most important was his son and how much of a dad he was,” said Christian Pendleton, general manager at Brennan’s. “He was such a good human. None of this is ever okay.”