On the afternoon of Monday, August 16, 2021, 35-year-old Roshelle Lemon, a pregnant mother of two, was shot and killed while sitting in her car in the Desire neighborhood of New Orleans. The incident occurred around 1:15 p.m. at the intersection of Higgins and Louisa Streets. Paramedics arrived to find Ms. Lemon with gunshot wounds and transported her to a local hospital, but she and her unborn child, a son she had intended to name Ricky Jr., were pronounced dead.
Roshelle Lemon was a beloved mother who was seven months pregnant with her third child. She worked as a personal care assistant, a profession that reflected her caring nature. Her aunt described her as a woman who lived to help others. The community was shaken by the violent and public nature of her death, which was seen as a tragic example of the escalating gun violence in the city.
In the days following the shooting, the New Orleans Police Department announced that they were investigating the case but had not yet identified any suspects or made any arrests. The police chief at the time issued a public appeal for anyone with information to come forward to assist in the investigation. As of the latest available online reports, there has been no new public information released regarding any arrests, suspects, or developments in the investigation into the death of Roshelle Lemon.
