In the late hours of a Friday in New Orleans, the life of 19-year-old Alexis Banks was tragically cut short. On February 16, 2018, the vibrant young woman became a victim of gun violence in the city's 7th Ward. The incident, a double shooting, also left a male teenager wounded, forever altering the course of many lives and leaving a community to grapple with the senselessness of the act.
The investigation into the death of Alexis led authorities to a suspect, Leo Tate Sr.
He was subsequently arrested and faced serious charges, including second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, in connection with the double shooting that claimed Alexis's life and injured another. The community sought justice for a life taken too soon, a young woman with a future ahead of her, now silenced.
In a turn of events, the pursuit of justice took a different path. In September 2021, Tate accepted a plea deal. The charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder were dismissed. Instead, he was convicted of obstruction of justice. This legal resolution closed a chapter in the case, though the pain of Alexis's absence remains for her family and friends.
