On a December evening in New Orleans, a dispute over a parking spot escalated into a tragedy that claimed the life of 24-year-old Vernon Chance Lewis. An African American male, Lewis, along with his friend Daniel Millon, also 24, was visiting a friend at the Hidden Lake Apartments on Martin Drive on December 28, 2015. The two men had parked their motorcycles in a walkway, which led to a confrontation.
The argument began when a resident of a downstairs apartment, Gilda Woodridge, asked
Lewis and Millon to move their motorcycles. As they complied, Woodridge's boyfriend, 33-year-old Ahmad Rainey, became involved in the disagreement. The verbal altercation quickly turned fatal when Rainey went into his apartment, retrieved a firearm, and shot both Lewis and Millon at close range. When emergency services arrived, both young men were found unresponsive beside their motorcycles and were pronounced dead at the scene. Police later confirmed that neither Lewis nor Millon were armed.
In the aftermath of the shooting, both Ahmad Rainey and Gilda Woodridge were sought by law enforcement. Woodridge, then 27, surrendered to police and was booked on two counts of being a principal to first-degree murder. Rainey also turned himself in and was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
During the trial, Rainey’s defense claimed he acted in self-defense, stating that he felt threatened by Lewis and Millon. However, the prosecution argued against this, highlighting that the victims were unarmed. After deliberation, the jury reached a verdict in April 2018. Ahmad Rainey was found guilty of the manslaughter of Vernon Lewis and obstruction of justice. He was, however, acquitted of any charges in the death of Daniel Millon. Following his conviction, Rainey faced a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
