In the early morning hours of January 10, 2020, 20-year-old Lee Edward Long Jr. was found inside a pickup truck in New Orleans with a gunshot wound to his torso. A third-year architecture student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Long was able to speak initially with responding officers but later died of his injuries.

The New Orleans Police Department investigation led to the arrest of 21-year-old Alec Billiot, who was booked on one count of second-degree murder and five counts of attempted second-degree murder, indicating others may have been present. An unidentified eyewitness later identified Alec Billiot as the person who killed Long. The victim’s family pursued answers and accountability after his death; Long’s mother reportedly suffered Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, described as broken-heart syndrome, during the ordeal.