Ernest Francois, 33, was fatally shot on the evening of February 15, 2017, in Gentilly, New Orleans. Officers responded about 5:54 p.m. to the 3400 block of Franklin Avenue and found Francois with at least one gunshot wound near a silver Toyota 4Runner whose driver-side door was open and a window shattered. He was taken to a local hospital but died of his injuries.

The New Orleans Police Department secured the scene and opened a homicide investigation, canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and evidence. In the immediate aftermath no suspects were publicly identified and no arrests were announced, and the case was unsolved as of the initial reports.

If anyone saw activity on Franklin Avenue that evening or has information about the shooting or the vehicle, please share what is known with investigators.