WA shooting victim disputes media reports

A Perth university student who was shot in New Orleans in what police said was a botched drug deal says he is recovering slowly and has his family by his side.

Toben Clements, 21, and his friend Jake Rovacsek, 23, were shot in the chest and stomach in a suburb of New Orleans earlier this month, while on a holiday following the Intercollegiate Mining Games in Montana.

He also told friends not to believe media reports, following widespread coverage in Australia and New Orleans of the shooting.

"Recovery will be a slow process, but I will recover nonetheless," Mr Clements posted on Facebook.

"Big shout out to Mum, Dad and Grandad for coming over to the US so quickly, only to spoon feed me and give me massages when ever I ask.

"P.S. Please don't believe the media."

Local police said the Curtin University students had been driven from the Bourbon St tourist strip of the Louisiana city to the suburb of Algiers at 4am, where they were shot after a brief dispute with three men.

"The driver took the two victims toward Algiers and along the way, he told them that it would cost several hundred dollars to purchase drugs," police said.

"The victims told the driver they did not have the money available."

Police told AAP one of the assailants offered a frightening warning before bullets were fired: "You know what time it is?"

There have been 30 homicides and more than 100 shootings in New Orleans this year.