In the city of New Orleans, on Valentine's Day of 2011, a violent feud between two street gangs culminated in the tragic death of a young man. Louis 'Louchie' Cook, a male, was shot and killed in the 800 block of Felicity Street, near the River Garden Apartments. The incident, which occurred at approximately 1:25 p.m., was not a random act of violence but a targeted attack rooted in a long-standing and bitter rivalry.
Cook was a known member of the '110ers' gang, a group associated with
the Tenth and Eleventh Wards of the city. On that fateful afternoon, he was with two friends, Thomas Riles and Corey Jackson. The motive for Cook's murder was retaliation for the earlier killing of Brandon Cotton, an act that had ignited a deadly feud between the 110ers and a rival gang from the Twelfth Ward known as 'Get Money Boys' or 'GMB.'
The investigation into Cook's death eventually led police to Thaddeus J. Ross, a member of the GMB. Evidence presented during the subsequent trial revealed the deep-seated animosity between the two gangs. Detectives utilized social media and intelligence from a RICO investigation into the 110ers to piece together the motive and identify the key players in the ongoing street war. Testimony from a detective from the New Orleans Police Department's Intelligence Division established that the shooting of Louis Cook was a direct consequence of the escalating violence between the two groups.
During his trial, Thaddeus Ross denied being a member of the GMB gang, claiming instead that it was a 'rap group.' However, a 'GMB' tattoo on his inner arm contradicted his testimony. He admitted to being friends with other GMB members, Jamal Phillips and Tony Lacour, who were themselves later killed in what was believed to be retaliation for Cook's homicide. Ross also acknowledged that every member of his 'rap group' was deceased. Despite his denials, a jury found Thaddeus J. Ross guilty of the second-degree murder of Louis Cook. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. The conviction and sentence were later affirmed by the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, in June of 2016, bringing a close to the legal chapter of a senseless and violent episode in the city's history.
