In the summer of 2017, a burst of gunfire shattered the evening calm in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, leaving a local man mortally wounded and a community searching for answers. The victim was Arthur Hubbard, a 40-year-old male, who was discovered by police inside his white Pontiac G6 at the intersection of St. Bernard Avenue and North Roman Street on June 23, 2017. The car had crashed into two parked vehicles, a chaotic end to a life cut short by violence.
Hubbard had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved to be too severe.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect. Within weeks, on July 2, 2017, the New Orleans Police Department announced the arrest of 36-year-old Levour Jiles in connection with the fatal shooting. Jiles was subsequently booked on the serious charge of second-degree murder, bringing a swift, if not final, development to the tragic case. The arrest offered a measure of progress in the quest for justice for Arthur Hubbard and his grieving family and friends.
Arthur Hubbard Sr., as he was also known, passed away on June 24, 2017, from the injuries he sustained. His death was a profound loss to his family, which included his parents, Emma Mae Hubbard and Arthur Griffin, his children, Arthur Jr. and Angel Hubbard, and his companion, Rozina Hubbard. Known as 'King Arthur' to some, he was remembered as the life of the party and worked as a chef at The Trolley Stop restaurant. His untimely death left a void in the lives of his many relatives and friends who mourned his passing and celebrated his life at a funeral service held at the First Pentecostal Church.
