In the spring of 2015, a tragedy unfolded in New Orleans that cut short the life of a bright-eyed 5-year-old boy. Caden Nicholas McCullum, a male Pre-K student at Bethune Elementary, was found deceased on Thursday, May 14, 2015. His death, along with that of his 3-year-old sister, Cylie, sent a shockwave of grief through their family and the wider community.
The children were discovered in a vehicle in the eastern part of the city, not alone, but with their mother, 25-year-old Michelle McCullum, who was also deceased.
The subsequent investigation by the Orleans Parish Coroner's office brought a grim clarity to the devastating event. Both Caden and his little sister had each suffered a single gunshot wound. Their deaths were officially ruled as homicides. Their mother, Michelle, was found to have died from a single gunshot wound as well, but her death was ruled a suicide. This led authorities to the heartbreaking conclusion that the incident was a murder-suicide.
Before the discovery, concerns for the family's welfare had already been raised. Michelle McCullum had reportedly been struggling with significant stress and mental health challenges. She had expressed to her own mother that she had intentions of harming herself and her children. This alarming disclosure prompted law enforcement to issue a Level II Endangered/Missing Child Media Advisory for Caden and Cylie after their mother took them from the Treme section of New Orleans. A search effort involving the New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, and the FBI was launched.
The search ended in a sorrowful discovery in an overgrown area off of Old Gentilly Road. A worker in the vicinity spotted the car and alerted the authorities. Inside, the family was found, all having been shot with a. 40 caliber handgun. The devastating loss left Caden and Cylie's father, Gavin McCullum, and their grandparents to grapple with an unimaginable grief. In the days that followed, friends and family gathered to mourn the young lives lost, creating a memorial of candles, flowers, and stuffed animals at the site where they were found. During a vigil, family members wore lime green ribbons to raise awareness for mental illness, urging others to seek help if they or someone they know is struggling.
