Do you know who killed Lanisha Scott? In the spring of 2014, a wave of violence cast a dark shadow over the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. Among the victims was Lanisha Kelly Scott, a 22-year-old African American woman whose life was tragically cut short. On the evening of April 12, 2014, Scott was gunned down near the intersection of Dryades and Washington streets, a well-known corner in the historic neighborhood.
Her death was one of three fatal shootings of women in Central City in less than a week, a grim statistic that left the community reeling and searching for answers.
The New Orleans Police Department launched an investigation into Scott's death, but details were scarce in the immediate aftermath. Authorities did not release information about a potential motive or any suspects in the shooting. The lack of information fueled a sense of unease among residents, who were already grappling with the recent string of violent crimes against women in their community. At the time, law enforcement did not publicly draw a connection between Scott's murder and the other recent homicides of women in the area, leaving the public to wonder if a predator was on the loose or if the incidents were tragically coincidental.
In the years that have passed since Lanisha Kelly Scott's untimely death, there have been no public updates on the status of the investigation into her murder. No arrests have been announced, and no suspects have been named, leaving her case unsolved. The vibrant young woman's story became a somber headline in a violent week for New Orleans, a city that has long struggled with a high homicide rate. Her death, like so many others, left a void in the lives of her loved ones and a lingering question of when, or if, justice will ever be served.
