In the early hours of a Thursday in New Orleans, the life of 29-year-old Kala Kayneisha Bienemy was tragically cut short. On February 2, 2017, the mother of five was inside her apartment at the Chateau D'Orleans complex when a barrage of bullets tore through her home. Struck by the gunfire, Bienemy died at the scene, leaving a family and community to grapple with the sudden and violent loss.
In the immediate aftermath, her family mourned a woman they described as innocent and loving, caught in a senseless act of violence.
The investigation into her death quickly pointed to a belief that Bienemy was not the intended target of the shooting. Family members speculated that the bullets were meant for her ex-boyfriend, who they said had been involved in an altercation the night before. This theory suggested that a dispute had followed him to her doorstep, with devastating consequences for the young mother. While her children were safely at school at the time of the incident, they were left to navigate a future without their mother.
Within days of the shooting, the New Orleans Police Department made an arrest in connection with the case. Errol Krish, 19 years old at the time, was taken into custody following a raid. While initially booked on weapons charges, a grand jury later indicted him on one count of second-degree murder for the death of Kala Bienemy. The indictment painted a grim picture of a violent week, as Krish was also charged with three other murders and several attempted murders, with the district attorney's office suggesting the crimes were gang-related.
The legal proceedings that followed brought a measure of closure to Bienemy's grieving family. Errol Krish ultimately pleaded guilty to the murder of Kala Bienemy. As part of his plea, he also admitted guilt for the three other murders and three attempted murders he was charged with committing within the same week. For his role in the death of Kala Bienemy and the other violent crimes, Krish was sentenced to thirty-five years in prison.
