A house party at a short-term rental in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans turned deadly in the early morning hours of June 28, 2026. About 20 people were inside the residence on the 2200 block of Louisiana Avenue when gunfire erupted from a front-side alley; guests fled toward the rear of the home and more shots rang out. Twenty-year-old Shawn Mitchell was struck and taken to a local hospital.

Mitchell died of his wounds on July 3, 2026, and the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office ruled his death a homicide by gunshot. Investigators initially described a fleeing suspect as a man with dreadlocks wearing a long-sleeved beige shirt. Detectives later developed probable cause and obtained arrest warrants.

On July 9, 2026, law enforcement arrested 24-year-old Joseph Washington in Harvey on a second-degree murder charge and 23-year-old Cameron Thomas in New Orleans on a charge of accessory after the fact to second-degree murder. The investigation is ongoing; anyone with information about the shooting is asked to come forward.