Gary Sabatier

Gary Sabatier was a 49-year-old Black man living in New Orleans. Just two months before his own death, he had been mourning the passing of his father, Willie Earl James. He was part of a family that included his siblings, Lionel and Yolanda Sabatier, among others.

The events that led to his death unfolded on Monday, November 4, 2019. According to a witness, Sabatier had been in a physical altercation around noon that day with a man later identified as James Cain. That afternoon, Cain allegedly came to Sabatier's apartment complex on Chef Mentor Highway looking for him. He reportedly returned again around 6 p.m. and was seen entering an apartment while seeking Sabatier. Surveillance video showed Sabatier talking with two other men on a second-floor balcony when Cain arrived and began speaking with him.

A witness reported hearing a verbal altercation, followed by several gunshots. The witness then saw Cain fleeing the scene and found Sabatier lying motionless on the balcony. New Orleans Police Department officers were called to the complex, where they found Sabatier’s body shortly after 7 p.m.

The investigation benefited significantly from surveillance footage that police said captured a foot chase, the conversation, and the shooting itself. A witness also identified James Cain, who was known as "J.C.", from a photo lineup. The witness told police Cain was the person who had been looking for Sabatier before the shooting and who fled the area immediately after.

Police secured an arrest warrant for James Cain, age 45, who was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of second-degree murder. He appeared in Orleans Magistrate Court, where a judge set his bond at $250,000. In January 2020, a New Orleans grand jury formally indicted Cain in connection with the fatal shooting. The case was then set to proceed through the judicial system.