In the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans, a burst of gunfire shattered the late morning calm on Monday, September 22, 2025. When the echoes of the shots faded, 59-year-old Willie Lemar Jr., a Black male, was left suffering from a gunshot wound in the 2700 block of LaSalle Street. Emergency medical services were dispatched to the scene and quickly transported Lemar to a local hospital in a desperate attempt to save his life. Despite their efforts, he was later pronounced dead.
The New Orleans Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into the shooting. Detectives from the NOPD Homicide Section began to piece together the events that led to Lemar's untimely death. Their investigation pointed them toward a single perpetrator.
Two days later, on September 24, 2025, authorities located and arrested 49-year-old Wallace Gilmore in the 3000 block of Freret Street. The arrest was a collaborative effort involving NOPD Homicide Section detectives, Sixth District officers, and the department's Violent Crime Abatement and Investigative Team. Gilmore was taken into custody without incident and subsequently booked into the Orleans Justice Center. He is facing one count of second-degree murder in connection with the death of Willie Lemar Jr.
