As the city mourns the death of former Saints player Will Smith, other families across New Orleans are grieving the violent deaths of their loved ones.
In a city plagued by murder some families are feeling slighted by the New Orleans Police Department’s focus on Smith's high-profile murder case.
There’s not a day that goes by where Gina Cannon doesn't think about her son, Leslie. The 19-year-old's life was cut short, ironically, grieving another young friend's death.
“They started shooting around the funeral. He ran like everybody else ran and he caught a bullet in the back of his head,” said Cannon recalling how her son was shot.
A day later the mother of five had to make the tough choice and take her son off life support. That was back in September 2008, since then she says there has been no updates from investigators on the homicide case.
“I haven't gotten the property, I haven't gotten a phone call, I haven't gotten a return visit, nothing,” added Cannon.
The police attention surrounding former Saints player Will Smith's murder and his alleged killer now in custody is opening up old wounds for this Gentilly family.
“They have so much focus on his murder. We have so much murder unsolved that's not being focused on. What about us? We're hurting mothers, we're hurting families,” said Cannon.
On Friday night a special memorial service was held along Bayou Saint John to remember those killed by violent crime including Angela Thompson and her son holding a life size cut-out of 19-year-old Aaron Thompson. He was gunned down on March 9 outside a Chevron gas station on General de Gaulle.
“I come out to help and to support other families because we have a tough fight on our hands,” said Rhonda Labat who was there to remember her nephew, Melvin. The 27-year-old was gunned down on June 10, 2012 in the 8300 block of Palmetto Street. His aunt upset to see Friday night’s memorial overshadowed by Will Smith's second line across town.
“Look how many families we have out here who've lost loved ones. Everyone feels the same about the ones they love and I'm disappointed,” said Labat.
Tamara Jackson with silence is violence stresses all criminal cases need equal police attention.
“We’ve been inundated with calls from families. They would like the same resources that are being allocated to Mr. Smith's homicide with their loved ones homicides and investigations,” said Jackson.
"7 years later, I still want to know what happened to my son,?” said
Almost a decade later, Cannon refuses to give up hope, fighting to make sure her son's murder gets the justice it deserves.
“We hurt for Leslie. Every day we hurt for Leslie. Every day and its definitely not easy,” said Cannon.
Dozens of murders remain unsolved across New Orleans. For example: New Orleans Police confirmed the city saw 164 murders in 2015 by the end of the year 73 remain unsolved. The NOPD couldn't provide the number of unsolved murders in 2016 in time for Friday night’s newscast.