A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and a resident of Marrero, John Kevin Day was 61 years old at the time of his passing on Friday, September 29, 2023. A graduate of John Ehret High School's Class of 1979, he had a long-standing career as a maintenance millwright with Cargill Inc., where he was employed for 25 years.
In another incident, New Orleans Police Captain John Day was killed in the line of duty on July 24, 1900, while attempting to apprehend a suspect.
The events leading to his death began the previous day when officers approached a man who subsequently opened fire, wounding one of the officers.
The following day, a team of officers, including Captain Day, located the suspect at a residence on Fourth Street. As law enforcement entered the home, the man fired a rifle, fatally wounding both Captain John Day and Patrolman Peter Lamb. Despite the immediate surrounding of the house, the suspect managed to escape. A tip on July 27th led officers to another location where the man was hiding. As they attempted to arrest him, he again opened fire, killing Sergeant Gabe Porteous and Corporal John Lally before barricading himself inside. During the ensuing standoff, the suspect shot and killed another officer, Keeper Van Kuren. The suspect, identified as Robert Charles, was ultimately killed by law enforcement after he had killed a total of seven people and wounded twenty others.
