New Orleans police have arrested a 19-year-old man named Curtis Gray, accusing him of a deadly shooting during a lively parade on November 17. This tragic event claimed the lives of two young men and left at least ten others injured in two separate shootings within an hour.
The shootings happened along a crowded parade route near the Almonaster Avenue Bridge. According to the New Orleans Police Department, Gray is facing two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Rasean Carter, 21, and Malachi Jackson, 19.
Rasean Carter, an aspiring photographer from Marrero, a community just across the Mississippi River, had planned to capture moments from the Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club’s annual parade. Carter was joined by his friend and uncle, Malachi Jackson. The parade is part of New Orleans’ cherished “second-line” tradition, where people follow brass bands through the streets, celebrating the city’s rich Black culture.
Sadly, Carter and Jackson’s deaths were just two of several violent incidents in the city recently. While overall violence in New Orleans has been decreasing since mid-2023, last weekend saw six separate shootings that left three people dead and eight others wounded, according to local media.
In another case, police arrested two men, 18-year-old Darrell Fairley Jr. and 19-year-old Cornelius G. Tillman, on Thursday. They are accused of involvement in a double homicide on November 30 in New Orleans East.
These heartbreaking events remind us of the ongoing challenges faced by the city, even as it works to reduce violence and rebuild its sense of community.
