In the spring of 2010, the life of 19-year-old Damond "Wildman" Peters, a Black or African American male, was cut tragically short on the streets of New Orleans. On the evening of May 26th, Peters was fatally shot in the 9th Ward, his body discovered by police on the 2400 block of Benton Street. A native of the city, Peters was known for his involvement in the community, participating as an Indian with the Red Hawk Hunters and playing basketball for several local schools, including MLK
Extension, Desire Academy, Reserve Christian, and Mc Main High Schools. His death left a void in the lives of his family, including his mother, father, stepfather, two sisters, and a brother.
The circumstances surrounding Peters' death were complicated by his own past encounters with the law. Just the previous fall, he had been arrested in connection with a murder in his neighborhood. However, prosecutors ultimately refused the charges against him, and he was not prosecuted for that crime. The violent end to his own life months later added another layer to the ongoing narrative of violence that plagued the city.
Despite the initial investigation into his murder, information regarding any suspects or arrests in the killing of Damond Peters has not been publicly reported. His case, like many others in New Orleans, appears to have gone cold, leaving his family and community without answers or a sense of justice. The absence of any named suspects or significant developments in the investigation leaves the story of his death an unresolved chapter in the city's history of street violence. Without any known leads or arrests, the motive and the identity of the person or persons responsible for his death remain a mystery.
