In the summer of 2018, a dispute between neighbors in the St. Claude neighborhood of New Orleans escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 36-year-old Jessica May-Orr. On the afternoon of Sunday, July 8th, police were called to an apartment in the 1900 block of Port Street where they discovered May-Orr inside, suffering from a gunshot wound to her chest.
Emergency services transported her to a local hospital, but her injuries proved to be fatal.
The initial investigation into the shooting quickly pointed towards a conflict with a neighbor. Witnesses reported hearing a woman scream, 'She's got a gun,' just before the fatal shot was fired, hinting at a volatile confrontation that led to the deadly outcome.
Within days of the shooting, the New Orleans Police Department made an arrest in connection with the death of Jessica May-Orr. Her 51-year-old neighbor, Kierston Johnson, was taken into custody and subsequently charged with one count of second-degree murder. The swift arrest brought a suspect into focus, suggesting that the violence stemmed from a personal conflict between the two women who lived in close proximity to one another.
While an arrest was made, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting remained active as authorities continued to gather information. The community was left to mourn the loss of Jessica May-Orr, a woman whose life was cut short in a moment of violence that shattered the quiet of a Sunday afternoon.
