Mother's only child dies days before Christmas Sterling Derrell Blackmon, a 20-year-old Black male, was fatally shot on the evening of Saturday, December 20, 2014, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Earlier that evening, his mother, Trenice Blackmon, had dropped him off for his shift at Rally's restaurant in the Algiers neighborhood. The restaurant was located at 3555 General DeGaulle Drive.
Around 11 p.m., authorities responded to reports of gunfire at the Garden Oaks Apartments at 3200 Garden Oaks Drive, situated directly behind the
Rally's where Blackmon worked. Upon arrival, they discovered Sterling Blackmon on the sidewalk outside the apartments. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second individual, a 24-year-old man, was also shot in the chest but survived his injuries.
Heartbreakingly, before she could be officially notified, Blackmon's mother began receiving a series of text messages and phone calls from family and friends informing her that her son had been shot. She rushed to the scene, but was too distraught to identify her son's body; another family member had to make the confirmation.
Despite the shooting occurring in a populated area with potential witnesses and surveillance cameras, the New Orleans Police Department struggled to gather leads as no one reportedly came forward with information. To date, the case remains unsolved, and no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Sterling Blackmon. His death is now considered one of the many cold cases in the city of New Orleans.
