In the early hours of a Friday in New Orleans, a burst of gunfire shattered the morning calm in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood, leaving two men fatally wounded. One of these men was Calvin Joseph Thompson, a 37-year-old resident of the city. The incident, which unfolded at the intersection of St. Anthony and North Rampart streets on May 5, 2023, was described by authorities as a shootout.
Responding to reports of the shooting at approximately 10 a.m., New Orleans police discovered
both Thompson and another man, 32-year-old Sam Jackson, suffering from gunshot wounds. Both men were urgently transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Despite the efforts of medical staff, both Thompson and Jackson succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead.
Subsequent investigations by the New Orleans Police Department revealed that the two men had been shooting at each other before they both collapsed at the scene. This finding shed light on the violent nature of the confrontation that led to their untimely deaths.
Calvin Joseph Thompson was a native of New Orleans and a 2004 graduate of Frederick A. Douglass High School, where he had been a member of the football team. In his professional life, he had worked as a head cook in various local restaurants and had more recently pursued a career in truck driving. He was a husband and a devoted father to his twin children, Amari and Armani Thompson.
The other man involved in the shootout, Sam Jackson, was a well-known figure in the local music scene as a founder of the Young Fellaz Brass Band. He was also a member of the Mardi Gras Indian community. His death was a significant loss to the cultural fabric of New Orleans. The incident marked a tragic day for the city, ending the lives of two of its own in a violent exchange.
