Jerry Harris

Jerry Devante Harris, a 20-year-old Black/African American man known to his loved ones as "XD," was remembered for his deep connections to a large and loving family in his native New Orleans. Born on June 6, 1998, to Stephanie Harris and Jerry Morris, he was a cherished companion to Taijane't Rowan and a brother to four siblings. His life was violently cut short on a late Thursday afternoon in March 2019, leaving his many relatives and friends to mourn a future that would never be realized.

The chaotic events that led to Jerry’s death began around 4:42 p.m. on March 28, 2019. Officers from the New Orleans Police Department’s Sixth District responded to reports of gunfire in the Central City neighborhood. A witness told police she saw a silver sedan driving on Terpsichore Street and watched as occupants fired from the car as it passed the 1500 block of Freret Street. A short time later, police were called to the Garden District, several blocks away, where they discovered a vehicle at the intersection of Harmony and Prytania streets. Near the car, they found Jerry Harris on the ground. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene from gunshot wounds.

The NOPD’s Homicide Unit launched an investigation that soon revealed a complex and tragic story. In the weeks after the shooting, detectives sought public assistance, naming Demontre Smith and Quitman Hartford Jr. as persons of interest from whom they wanted to obtain DNA swabs. Police specified at the time that neither man was wanted as a suspect. A major development came in August 2019, when the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office announced a sweeping 26-page racketeering indictment against four alleged members of a street gang known as "T-Blocc" or "JayBucka Nation": Quitman Hartford Jr., Cornell Sparkman Jr., Jerome Jones, and Dinero Alexander.

The indictment offered a stunning explanation for Jerry Harris's death. Prosecutors alleged that Jerry himself was a member of the T-Blocc crew and was participating in a drive-by attack on a rival gang in the 1500 block of Freret Street. During this assault, the indictment stated, Jerry was fatally shot by gunfire from his own associates. His body was then left in the Garden District near the stolen car used in the attack. The evidence outlined by prosecutors was specific; Hartford’s DNA was reportedly found on a .45-caliber handgun and Sparkman’s DNA was on a mask, both recovered from the abandoned vehicle.

While the indictment provided a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding Jerry's death, the direct legal consequences for the accused in relation to his killing are less clear from public records. The four men faced a multitude of charges for a series of violent crimes, including numerous attempted murders. In the years that followed, two of the men were sentenced on separate federal charges. In April 2024, Jerome Jones was sentenced to 165 months in federal prison for drug and firearm violations stemming from a 2022 case. In November 2023, Dinero Alexander pleaded guilty to federal charges that included his role in a 2020 murder. The specific outcomes for Quitman Hartford Jr. and Cornell Sparkman Jr. on the state racketeering charges that detailed their alleged involvement in Jerry's death are not publicly available.

Demontre Smith, one of the initial persons of interest, died in January 2022 at the age of 23. Funeral services for Jerry Harris were held on April 12, 2019, at the Guiding Light Missionary Baptist Church, and he was laid to rest in Holt Cemetery. While authorities have detailed a narrative of how Jerry Harris died, the case remains a profound tragedy of street violence. As of May 2024, a specific conviction for his death has not been publicly announced. Anyone with information is asked to contact NOPD Homicide detectives at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111.