In the summer of 2023, the life of 47-year-old Tomika Chapman tragically ended in New Orleans. On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 11, 2023, she was fatally shot inside a white Infiniti sedan just outside her home in the Little Woods neighborhood. First responders found Chapman on the ground near the vehicle, and she succumbed to her injuries a short time later at a local hospital.
The couple's 4-year-old daughter witnessed the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
The narrative of Tomika Chapman's final years is interwoven with a documented history of domestic strife. She had made numerous calls to the police and had filed for protective orders against her husband, Gregory Chapman, on multiple occasions. In a 2019 petition for a protective order, she detailed alleged physical abuse, stating, 'He beat me in my head to where I have been having headaches... I am afraid for my and my child's life.' Just months before her death, in January 2023, she was granted a two-week restraining order, alleging that her husband had punched, choked, and threatened both her and their young daughter. Despite these attempts to seek help, the cycle of violence continued.
Following the fatal shooting, Gregory Chapman, then 56, turned himself into the police. He was subsequently arrested and booked on a charge of second-degree murder. During his initial court proceedings, it was revealed that he was placed on suicide watch, which delayed his bond hearing. His bail was eventually set at $750,000. His defense attorney indicated that he grappled with mental illness and described a tumultuous relationship between the couple.
