A TikTok star with more than a quarter of a million followers has been shot dead after being caught in the crossfire in a shooting while grocery shopping for his grandmother at a supermarket in Nova Scotia. Orleans.
Brandon ‘Boogie B’ Montrell, 43, a comedian who posted videos on Instagram and TikTok, was shot dead outside a grocery store in the Warehouse District on Friday while sitting in his car.
New Orleans police explained how he appeared to have been caught in the crossfire and was not the intended target of the shootout that occurred between two men in the store’s parking lot. He had returned from Los Angeles for Christmas to see his mother and grandmother when tragedy struck.
Cops released surveillance photos of two suspects, including a gray or silver sedan and a photo of a woman they want to interview, named Dyamonique Smith. No arrests have yet been made in this case.
Montrell is also extremely popular on Instagram, where he has nearly a quarter of a million followers, and on Facebook, where he has another 500,000.
Brandon ‘Boogie B’ Montrell, 43, a comedian known for his series of ‘Hood History’ videos on TikTok and Instagram was shot dead in New Orleans on Friday
Montrell was known for his “Hood History” video series in which he presented historic locations in Crescent City with a humorous approach.
Dyamonique Smith is wanted for questioning in the murder of Brandon “Boogie B” Montrell outside Rouses Grocery in New Orleans’ central business district, the police department said Saturday.
He had recently lived in Los Angeles aiming to pursue a career in entertainment, but was back in his hometown of New Orleans to spend the holidays with his mother and grandmother.
On Saturday, Montrell’s mother blasted the city of New Orleans, saying her son’s death was symptomatic of decades of decadence.
“My son wasn’t just the victim of a stray bullet,” Montrell’s mother, Sherilyn Price, said in a statement. “He is the victim of decades of neglect that has left the youth of New Orleans without hope for the future and real fear of the consequences.”
“It is high time for leaders in our city and everywhere to do their job. It doesn’t matter who is the president, who is the governor and who is the mayor.
“Leaders create opportunity, including the ability to live in peace without fear of random violence.
“When the crime and violence in New Orleans became worrisome, Montrell moved to Washington DC and became an actress,” her statement read.
Police say they were also looking for a gray or silver sedan seen near the shooting
New Orleans police are looking for the suspects, considered armed and dangerous
Montrell had returned to his hometown to spend Christmas with his family, but was shot and killed while inside a vehicle in the grocery store parking lot.
“He was a really good guy,” family attorney Juan LaFonta added in a chat with Fox 8. “Always pushing himself forward.” Never involved in anything negative.
“People need to understand that what leads to horrors like this is not greed, it’s not drugs and it’s not violent tendencies. It is the failure of our city leaders to provide adequate, if not minimal, support to families and youth.
LaFonta also explained how Montrell’s mother was “angry” about her son’s murder and wasn’t ready to speak publicly.
“She’s angry, but not in a ‘street justice’ sense. She’s angrier that there’s no leadership in this town to stop things like this and no help for these kids doing this stuff.
Montrell was known for his “Hood History” video series in which he showcased historic locations throughout the town of Crescent with a humorous take.
The TikTok star had 225,000 followers and had recently moved to Los Angeles. He had returned to New Orleans to be with his mother and grandmother over the holidays
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has faced one scandal after another in recent months
In the first six months of 2022, New Orleans recorded 41 murders per 100,000 residents, a higher homicide rate than any other US city, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association. .
By comparison, the first-half murder rate per 100,000 was 11.5 in Chicago, 4.8 in Los Angeles and 2.4 in New York.
In New Orleans, the homicide rate climbed 141% from 2019, while shootings rose 100%, carjackings 210% and armed robberies 25%, according to the Metropolitan City Crime Commission.
There have been 265 murders in the city so far this year, compared to 213 at the same time last year, an increase of 31% over the same period.
This is the highest the city has seen since 2003.
For comparison, in 2019 there were 116 murders.
There have been 265 murders in the city so far this year, compared to 213 this time last year and 115 in 2019.
The area where the shooting happened is close to where tourists visit the Big Easy and is an area full of museums, restaurants and bars.
Montrell’s mother’s statement about failed leadership in New Orleans comes as the city’s mayor has faced one corruption scandal after another.
Last month it emerged that she had upgraded her taxpayer-funded hotel rooms.
LaToya Cantrell, 50, is said to have upgraded her hotel reservations to stay in king suites during trips she took to Washington DC and San Francisco in January and April this year, which could lead to costs of around $2,400.
Democrat Cantrell was recently required to reimburse the city nearly $30,000 after violating its policy by upgrading its flights to first class and initially claiming economy class flights were unsafe for black women.
She was also asked about a taxpayer-funded luxury apartment, a stylist and the selective use of a bodyguard who flew to a party in Los Angeles with Cantrell where they met Brad Pitt.
City of New Orleans policy states that similar rules apply to upgrading hotel rooms.
Officer Jeffrey Vappie joined Cantrell’s security team in 2021 and traveled the world with her
Cantrell became the first woman elected mayor of New Orleans in 2018.
The Democrat faced questions about her selective use of a male bodyguard – who spent hours with Cantrell when she reportedly worked little and who joined her on a luxury trip to Los Angeles to meet Brad Pitt.
He spent 112 hours in his apartment over a period of 27 days and was even seen watering his plants.
Cantrell faces questions over money paid to her stylist, Tanya Haynes (pictured)
The Cantrell stylist – who she has paid $175,000 to since 2017 – also faces a possible criminal investigation over the thousands of dollars she spent on clothes for lawmakers.
In recent months, her administration has been dogged by allegations of misappropriation of funds and resources — with the Democratic leader even complaining to the Society for Professional Journalists about the scrutiny.
The body of journalists said the investigations were “fully appropriate and journalistically ethical”.
“Anyone who wants to wonder how I protect myself just doesn’t understand the world that black women walk around in,” she told a news conference. Cantrell was later shamed into reimbursing public funds she had used for luxury international travel.
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