Kim Boutte, 55, known as Big Queen Kim Cutie Boutte, was killed on August 11, 2020. A prominent Mardi Gras Indian queen who led the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors, she was attending a funeral repast in New Orleans East when gunfire broke out outside an event hall on Read Boulevard. Boutte was struck by a stray bullet and taken to a local hospital, where she died; another man wounded in the shooting was reported in stable condition.

Boutte had been part of the Black Masking Indian tradition since she was five and was remembered by friends, family and fellow Tribe members as a spiritual, vibrant cultural bearer and teacher. Her uncle, Big Chief Victor Harris, publicly lamented the loss. The New Orleans Police Department opened an investigation, but no suspect or motive was immediately identified and there have been no public announcements about an arrest or suspect.

Does anyone have information about that night or knew Kim and her work in the Mardi Gras Indian community?