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Gunmen Attack Medical Convoy in New Orleans NewsMax.com WiresA New Orleans hospital stopped its evacuation of patients after it came under fire from gunmen – as Mayor Ray Nagin issued "a desperate SOS" for help in dealing with an increasingly dangerous situation. Dr. Tyler Curiel said he and his National Guard escorts were returning to Charity Hospital at around 11:30 a.m. after dropping off patients at nearby Tulane Medical Center when a sniper began shooting at their convoy of Humvees. Story Continues Below About an hour later, Dr. Curiel was loading patients for transport when another gunman opened fire at the hospital. National Guard soldiers told staffers to move away from the windows and halted evacuations at the hospital, which has no electricity, no water and very little food. Attempts to evacuate patients by boat were stopped after armed looters threatened medics and overturned one of their boats. In a statement, Mayor Nagin said that the convention center, which was pressed into service as a secondary shelter when the Superdome was overwhelmed with evacuees, "is unsanitary and unsafe and we are running out of supply" for the 15,000 to 20,000 people who have packed into the facility. CNN reporter Chris Lawrence said there were "many, many" bodies inside and outside the center. Widespread looting and gunfire have been reported across the city, and groups of armed men roamed the street at night, according to police – who told CNN they were so undersupplied that they were siphoning gasoline from abandoned cars to fuel their vehicles. They said they also lack food and water and have no communication at all. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff denied that rescue efforts had been halted for security reasons. The Pentagon said 24,000 troops would be in New Orleans by next week to help in the recovery and restore order.
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