| By Drew Broach | Deputy metro editor
DID HIS JOB: Sean Payton up and retired Tuesday after 16 mostly successful years as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Here's video of his news conference. He left with a gift for team owner Gayle Benson, and a slight dig at former Saints cornerback Eli Apple. Among Saints players and other prominent figures, reaction to Payton's announcement was a mix of surprise, disappointment and thankfulness. What's next for the winningest coach in Saints' history? He's not sure. What's next for the Saints? Benson promises a thorough search for Payton's successor.
TRIPLE THREAT: As New Orleans elected officials continued to wrangle publicly over how to suppress a relentless surge in carjackings and gun violence, a dramatic video surfaced Tuesday of three gunmen jumping out of a sedan in the middle of Elysian Fields Avenue traffic and spraying bullets into a pickup truck in broad daylight. Meanwhile, a cousin of NFL running back Leonard Fournette was identified as victim in fatal shooting in the 9th Ward, and Chris Magraff's sister remembered her artist brother, fatally stabbed outside his Tremé apartment.
UNEASY IS THE HEAD: Jennifer Avegno, the New Orleans health director who rose to prominence in the coronavirus pandemic, has backed out of reigning as queen of the satirical Krewe du Vieux, saying the recent “re-imposition of mitigation measures" and "the level of negativity and hatred" directed at city officials "has significantly increased” and potentially made her a security risk for the Feb. 12 parade.
Thanks for starting the post-Payton era with us. Check for more news all day on NOLA.com. D.B. | 
