In the late afternoon of Sunday, September 8, 2019, tragedy struck in a New Orleans neighborhood, forever altering the lives of a local family. On that day, 16-year-old Steven Anthony Mercadel was in the 3200 block of Morrice Duncan Drive when the sound of gunfire shattered the calm. First responders rushed to the scene to find the young man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to a nearby hospital in a desperate attempt to save his life.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, Steven Mercadel succumbed to his injuries and passed away. The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office later officially identified him as the victim of a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting fell to the New Orleans Police Department, who began the arduous task of piecing together the events that led to the teenager's untimely death. As detectives delved into the case, they identified a person of interest they wished to speak with regarding the fatal shooting. This individual was named as Lee Coleman, born in August of 1996. The police publicly announced their desire to question Coleman, though they were clear that at that point, he was only wanted for questioning and was not officially named a suspect in the homicide.
In the days that followed, the family and friends of Steven Mercadel were left to grapple with their profound loss. An obituary was published, remembering the young man and announcing that his funeral services would be held at the Corpus Christi/Epiphany Church on St. Bernard Avenue. The community was invited to pay their respects and support a family grieving the violent end of a young life. The investigation into who fired the fatal shot and why a teenage boy's future was so abruptly cut short remained ongoing, leaving a family and a community searching for answers and hoping for justice.
