On the evening of May 1, 2015, Latrena May, a 27-year-old teacher at Pride Academy Charter School in East Orange, New Jersey, found herself in a heated argument with her former boyfriend and the father of her child, Andre Higgs. The dispute unfolded outside her two-family home on Tremont Avenue, escalating to a point where a frightened May flagged down a passing East Orange police detective, Kemon Lee, for assistance.
As Detective Lee began to exit his vehicle to intervene, Higgs, then
42 years old, produced a handgun and shot May three times on the porch of her home. In response to the immediate threat, the detective returned fire, striking Higgs in the legs. Despite the officer's presence, May's injuries were fatal, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The couple's four-year-old daughter was inside the house at the time of the shooting.
Following the shooting, Higgs barricaded himself inside the home where the young girl was sleeping. He was eventually apprehended and charged with murder and weapons offenses. This was not the first instance of violence Higgs had perpetrated against May. Just weeks before her murder, May had called 911 to report that Higgs had entered her home, choked her, and thrown her to the ground in front of their daughter.
In June 2017, an Essex County jury found Andre Higgs guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and hindering prosecution. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching their verdict. Subsequently, Higgs, who had a history of prior felony convictions, was sentenced to life in prison. He will not be eligible for parole for 68 years.
