On the evening of August 3, 2024, 32-year-old Brandon Hayward, known to friends as Phatz, attended a party at The Island bar on the 3100 block of St. Roch Avenue in New Orleans. An altercation at the gathering escalated to gunfire; Hayward was shot and pronounced dead less than ten minutes after the dispute began. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office listed gunshot-related injuries as the cause of death.

Hayward’s mother, Charlotte Hayward, described him as a comedian, visual artist, self-taught musician, animal lover and a sous chef who worked in her catering business. Friends remembered him as a mentor; his family said he was not involved in violence, making his death especially devastating.

NOPD Homicide detectives identified Eric Garrison as the primary suspect and sought an arrest warrant charging second-degree murder. A fugitive investigation located Garrison in Dallas, Texas, and he was taken into custody pending extradition to New Orleans to face the charge.

If anyone who attended the party or was in the St. Roch Avenue area that evening has information that could help, please come forward.