Joe Cahill, 40, a lighting designer from Boulder, Colorado who was working with the band Leftover Salmon, died after being shot in New Orleans during the Jazz & Heritage Festival. According to police reports, Cahill was encountered by officers in the early hours of April 28, 2013, appeared agitated, and fled on foot into the Seventh Ward. A homeowner says Cahill forcibly entered the residence; an altercation followed and the homeowner fired a gun, striking Cahill.

Cahill was found with a fatal gunshot wound, taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The New Orleans Police Department investigated and the Orleans Parish District Attorney declined to press charges, ruling the shooting justifiable on grounds of self-defense. Friends and family mourn a man remembered for his gentle nature and creative spirit; there remain unanswered questions about the incident.

If anyone witnessed Cahill’s movements that night or has information about what happened in the Seventh Ward, please share what is known.