On the evening of November 24, 2023, 17-year-old Carl Alex O’Neal Jr. was shot in the Little Woods neighborhood of New Orleans. Police responded at about 7:09 p.m. to the 7600 block of Vincent Road and found him with a gunshot wound; he was taken to a hospital but died within the hour. Minutes before the shooting he had FaceTimed his mother from a party he was attending with friends.

Carl, born January 7, 2006, was a senior at Booker T. Washington High School with a 4.0 GPA and plans to graduate with honors in May 2024. He was trombone section leader in the band and hoped to join the Grambling University Tiger Marching Band. He had received a full scholarship through the Call Me Mister program and pursued music production and coaching, learning a new language to communicate with his soccer team.

The New Orleans Police Department is investigating; no suspects or motive have been released and no arrests have been announced. If anyone has information about the shooting, contact the NOPD Homicide Section or Crimestoppers.