Katelyn Howard, 25, was found shot to death in the parking lot of the Georgetown of New Orleans Apartments on the evening of Wednesday, October 16, 2024. A neighbor discovered her unresponsive and, after moving her slightly, observed a bullet wound; emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

Investigators focused on 35-year-old Eric Gentris, the father of Howard’s four-year-old daughter. Court records described a years-long relationship marked by domestic abuse, including multiple prior arrests for battery against Howard and a recent arrest for breaking into her home and assaulting her. In some prior incidents charges were dropped when Howard did not cooperate with prosecutors.

After the shooting Gentris fled with the child, triggering a roughly 45-minute multi-jurisdictional pursuit that ended when law enforcement used tire deflation devices to stop his vehicle near Scott, Louisiana. Gentris was taken into custody without further incident, the child was found unharmed, and he was booked on one count of second-degree murder with bond set at $20 million.

Did anyone in the Georgetown of New Orleans Apartments or the surrounding neighborhood see anything that evening that could help clarify what happened?