On the evening of February 15, 2013, Isaac Stern, a 47-year-old Black man, was standing outside a home near the New Orleans Fair Grounds waiting for a friend when a car sped to the corner of Romulus and Castiglione streets shortly before 7:30 p.m. Occupants of the vehicle opened fire, striking Stern. A neighbor who called 911 at 7:24 p.m. later found Stern on the ground still breathing with a pulse; witnesses said three masked gunmen shot him, then stood over him, laughed, and continued to fire.

Investigators quickly linked the attack to a gang known as the Mid-City Killers. Police identified one suspect as Orlando Rickmon, whose height and long dreadlocks matched witness descriptions. The shooting was believed to be retaliation for violence attributed to Stern’s son, Isaac Ike Jones. That retaliatory cycle included further shootings and arrests in the months that followed.

Anyone who knew Isaac Stern or saw activity around Romulus and Castiglione on February 15, 2013, is asked to come forward with information.