On a Tuesday in the fall of 2016, the life of a young Black man, Jerome Magee, was tragically cut short on the streets of New Orleans. At 24 years old, Magee was shot and killed on September 27th in the city's St. Roch neighborhood. His death left a void in the lives of his loved ones, a pain made even more acute by the fact that he was an expectant father, with a son who would be born less than two months after his passing.
In the wake of this violence, those who knew and loved Jerome
came together to honor his memory. A prayer walk was held in the community, a somber gathering to remember a man described as loyal, sweet, and funny, and to silently protest the senselessness of his death. The New Orleans Police Department opened a homicide investigation into the shooting, searching for answers and for those responsible. However, despite the initial investigation and the pleas of his family, there have been no public reports of any arrests made in connection with the murder of Jerome Magee. The case, like so many others, has left a family grappling with a loss for which no one has been held accountable, and the identity of his killer or killers remains a painful unknown.
