In the cool night air of a New Orleans East parking lot, a story of burgeoning life and cultural tradition was violently extinguished. Lionel Delpit, a 25-year-old male, was shot and killed on December 16, 2015, in what police have described as a targeted attack. Delpit, known in his community as 'Bumma' and the Big Chief of the Black Feather Mardi Gras Indian tribe, was not the only victim that night.
Alongside him in their blue 2008 Chrysler PT Cruiser was his 23-year-old girlfriend, Breon Stewart, who was just days away from giving birth to their son.
The couple had just pulled into the parking lot of the Wind Run Apartments on the Interstate 10 Service Road shortly before 10 p.m. when an unknown assailant or assailants unleashed a barrage of gunfire, riddling the vehicle with bullets. Both Delpit and Stewart were struck multiple times and were pronounced dead at the scene. The tragedy was compounded by the death of their unborn child, who they had planned to name Lionel Delpit IV. The New Orleans coroner later confirmed that the unborn baby was of a viable age and his death was ruled a homicide, escalating the investigation to a triple homicide.
In the aftermath of the brutal killings, the New Orleans Police Department launched an intensive investigation. They collected multiple casings from the scene and appealed to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the case. Authorities stated they did not believe the shooting was a random act of violence, suggesting that the couple was the intended target. However, despite their efforts and the passage of time, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with the triple homicide.
The case remains a painful open wound for the families of Delpit and Stewart and the wider New Orleans community. The senseless loss of a young family on the cusp of welcoming a new life continues to resonate, a stark reminder of the devastating impact of gun violence. The deaths of Lionel Delpit, Breon Stewart, and their unborn son remain unsolved, with investigators and loved ones still seeking the answers and justice that have so far remained elusive.
