Overview
- Seven inmates remain at large after escaping from Orleans Parish Jail on May 16 by exploiting defective locks and a hole behind a toilet.
- The FBI and multiple law enforcement agencies are conducting a multi-state manhunt, with rewards raised to $12,000 per capture to encourage public tips.
- Officials suspect internal assistance enabled the escape, with three jail employees suspended and an investigation underway into facility security failures.
- The fugitives, aged 19 to 42, face serious charges including murder and aggravated assault, and the public has been warned to stay vigilant.
- Sheriff Susan Hutson has repeatedly highlighted the jail's aging infrastructure, including inoperable security cameras, as a critical factor in the breach.