Dwayne Red Dee Edward

On a warm New Orleans evening, the life of 19-year-old Dwayne Red Dee Edward Alphonse came to a violent end. The night of Sunday, June 25, 2017, was shattered by the sound of gunfire in the Algiers neighborhood, a community on the West Bank of the Mississippi River with a long and complex history.

Around 10:30 p.m., officers from the New Orleans Police Department were dispatched to the 1200 block of Odeon Street. There, on the front lawn of a home, they discovered Dwayne, lying face-up with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another account of that night places the discovery of his body in a vehicle on the 3800 block of Herschel Street, also in Algiers. The precise details of his final moments and where he was found remain clouded by these differing reports.

Dwayne, known to his loved ones as "Red" or "Dee," was a native and resident of the city he called home. A student and landscaper, he was remembered by a friend as a "calm, quiet and sweet young man." His life was deeply rooted in New Orleans, surrounded by a large family. He was the son of Erica Alphonse and the late Dwayne Glover, and was raised by his grandmother, Cynthia Glover, whom he loved as a mother. His obituary listed numerous siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, painting a picture of a young man with a wide network of family ties.

The investigation into Dwayne's death was handled by the New Orleans Police Department. In the immediate aftermath, authorities had not identified a suspect or a motive for the shooting. They appealed to the public for assistance, asking anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers. Tragically, Dwayne's death was reportedly the fifth time his family had been struck by the devastation of gun violence.

The Algiers neighborhood, one of the city's oldest and designated as the 15th Ward, has been the backdrop for both vibrant cultural history and persistent struggles with crime. In 2017, the year of Dwayne's death, New Orleans as a whole saw a 10% decrease in homicides compared to the previous year, a statistic that offered little comfort to a grieving family.

Years have passed since that June night, and the questions surrounding Dwayne's death remain unanswered. Online sources and case records contain no information about any arrests made or persons of interest identified in his murder. The case has gone cold, leaving his family and community to grapple with the void left by a life cut short. The story of Dwayne Alphonse is a narrative of personal loss for his loved ones and a stark reflection of the enduring issue of unsolved gun violence.