On the afternoon of Tuesday, May 13, 2025, a fatal encounter unfolded in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. At the intersection of 2nd and Clara streets, 37-year-old Pressley Reed, a male, was involved in an altercation that tragically escalated. The New Orleans Police Department received a call around 4:21 p.m. about a man down and, upon arrival, discovered Reed lying in the street, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Initial inquiries by law enforcement suggested that a dispute preceded the deadly shooting. In the immediate aftermath, a person of interest was taken into custody for questioning by homicide detectives. However, this individual was subsequently released as the investigation progressed and more details came to light. The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office later officially identified the victim as Pressley Reed and determined his cause of death to be from the gunshot injuries he sustained.
As the investigation continued, detectives with the NOPD Homicide Section identified Jernell Brown as the suspect in Reed's death. On May 23, 2025, authorities located and arrested Brown at a residence in the Fifth District. He was subsequently booked on the charge of second-degree murder. The case against Brown is now proceeding through the legal system.
