Raheem Alexander

Raheem Alexander, a 21-year-old Black man who worked as a cook, is remembered by loved ones as a humble person. His life was abruptly and violently ended in the St. Roch neighborhood of New Orleans in the fall of 2017, leaving a family to mourn and a community seeking answers. His uncle's obituary in 2021 noted Raheem's passing, a lasting marker of a family's profound loss.

In the pre-dawn hours of Monday, September 25, 2017, a confrontation that began in a McDonald's parking lot escalated with fatal consequences. A witness who was with Raheem at the restaurant on the corner of St. Claude and Franklin avenues told police that a man, later identified as 18-year-old Chris Hughes, drove up in a silver four-door Ford compact car and approached them. The witness, sensing trouble, ran to get away from Hughes.

According to an arrest warrant, Hughes followed the witness in his car and was overheard making a direct threat against Raheem. "I'm about to f--- that n---- up," Hughes allegedly said, referring to Alexander. Moments later, around 3 a.m., New Orleans Police Department Fifth District officers responded to a call of a shooting. They found Raheem lying in the street in the 2500 block of Marais Street, just a block away from the McDonald's. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services arrived at the scene, but Raheem’s injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead.

The New Orleans Police Department launched a homicide investigation, led by Detective Tindell Murdock. Investigators pieced together the events of that morning using witness testimony and surveillance footage. The video evidence was crucial, showing Raheem walking down Marais Street and turning onto Music Street. According to the warrant, just as he turned the corner, the same silver vehicle that Hughes had been driving approached. The footage then reportedly captured Raheem collapsing in the street. Police also confirmed that Hughes's sister owned a silver 2015 four-door Ford Fiesta, matching the description of the car at the scene.

Based on the evidence gathered, the NOPD identified Chris Hughes as the sole suspect in Raheem Alexander’s murder. On October 3, 2017, the department announced that it had secured an arrest warrant for Hughes on a charge of second-degree murder. At the time, police released his photo and date of birth, asking for the public's help in finding him. Records show that the same Chris Hughes had been arrested in March 2017 in connection with a separate, non-fatal shooting that occurred in October 2016.

In the years following the warrant issued for Hughes in connection with Raheem Alexander's death, there have been no public announcements regarding his arrest on the murder charge or the final legal outcome of the case. As of late 2017, the investigation remained active, and authorities urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of Chris Hughes or details about the shooting to contact NOPD Homicide Detective Tindell Murdock at 504-658-5300 or to report information anonymously to Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.