NEW ORLEANS — On Friday, authorities in New Orleans announced the arrest of a 19-year-old man accused of committing a double homicide during a bustling parade, which involved two separate shootings in less than an hour. The incidents led to two fatalities and injuries to at least ten others.
Curtis Gray is charged with two counts of second-degree murder stemming from the gunfire that erupted along the busy parade route on November 17, according to a statement from the New Orleans Police Department.
Reports indicate that Gray allegedly shot and killed Rasean Carter, 21, and Malachi Jackson, 19, near the Almonaster Avenue Bridge. Carter, who resided in Marrero, just across the river from New Orleans, was an aspiring photographer planning to capture the festivities of the Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club’s annual parade. He was accompanied by Jackson, who was both a friend and uncle, as they participated in this cultural celebration. This parade is a part of a long-standing New Orleans tradition known as “second-lines,” where participants gather to follow brass bands through the streets, an event rooted deeply in the city’s Black heritage.
The tragic deaths of Carter and Jackson are part of a worrying trend of violent incidents in New Orleans. Although the overall crime rates had been decreasing since mid-2023, the recent weekend saw three homicides and eight injuries from six separate shootings, indicating ongoing issues with gun violence in the area.
In another development, the New Orleans police have also arrested two other individuals, Darrell Fairley Jr., 18, and Cornelius G. Tillman, 19, linked to a double homicide that occurred on November 30 in New Orleans East.
