In the early morning hours of June 30, 2019, a dispute in the French Quarter of New Orleans turned deadly, claiming the life of 33-year-old Jeremy Dilling Sr. The incident unfolded around 3:30 a.m. in the 900 block of St. Louis Street, a bustling area known for its nightlife. Dilling was shot during an argument and succumbed to his wounds at University Medical Center.
Surveillance footage from the scene captured the events leading up to the fatal shooting.
The video reportedly showed Dilling in a heated argument with his ex-girlfriend. As Dilling walked away from the woman, another man, who had been seen speaking with the ex-girlfriend earlier, approached him. A brief physical altercation ensued on the sidewalk between the two men before the suspect allegedly shot Dilling in the chest. While bystanders scattered in the wake of the gunshot, the assailant was seen walking away from the scene.
More than a year later, in August 2020, a Texas man named Leonard Patty, then 38, was indicted by an Orleans Parish grand jury in connection with Dilling's death. Patty was charged with second-degree murder, obstruction of justice in a homicide investigation, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the murder charge, he faces a mandatory life sentence in prison. At the time of his indictment, it was reported that Patty had a prior criminal record in Texas, which included convictions for third-degree domestic violence and aggravated robbery.
