In the late afternoon of a Sunday in New Orleans, the lives of two young men were tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence. On February 23, 2014, 19-year-old Shalom Smith and his companion, 21-year-old Kentrell Bankston, were shot in the 6000 block of Craigie Street in New Orleans East. The unsettling discovery of their bodies, however, would be made miles away, creating a grim puzzle for investigators.
A passerby alerted the New Orleans Police Department to the presence of two
unresponsive males in the 300 block of Kenilworth Street in the Lakeview neighborhood. When officers arrived, they found Smith and Bankston deceased, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation that followed suggested that the two men had been shot at the Craigie Street location and subsequently transported to Lakeview where their bodies were left.
In the immediate aftermath of the double homicide, the New Orleans Police Department launched an investigation into the killings. Despite their efforts, authorities reported that they had not identified any suspects or a motive for the crime. They appealed to the public for any information that could lead to a breakthrough in the case.
Years have passed since the violent deaths of Shalom Smith and Kentrell Bankston, but the case appears to have grown cold. Publicly available information and news reports have not indicated that any arrests have been made or suspects identified in connection with the double homicide. The circumstances surrounding their deaths, and who was responsible, remain an unsolved chapter in the city's history of violence.
