An Orleans Parish magistrate judge has set a bond totaling $10 million for accused second line parade shooter, Curtis Gray. As reported by WDSU, the bond was set at $5 million for each of the murder charges against Gray, who is alleged to have opened fire during the Nine Times Second Line last November, resulting in the deaths of Rasean Carter, 21, and Malachi Jackson, 19, with an additional 13 individuals being injured. The shooting occurred at the intersection of Almonaster Avenue and Florida Avenue, and Gray's arrest took place on December 6 in Jefferson Parish.
The case unfolded with details eliciting both shock and dismay; the fallout of a seemingly unresolved vendetta stretching from the West Bank, where Curtis Gray was believed to have closed the chapter of a long-standing feud with bullets. In an article by WWLTV, authorities used ballistic evidence to link shell casings found at the scene to a .40-caliber handgun previously involved in a separate criminal case in Jefferson Parish last year. This particular firearm had been returned by the justice system to the possession of Gray's mother.
Moreover, WWLTV findings also point to a web of corroboration, including video evidence placing Gray at the site of the deadly altercation, cellular data pinpointing his phone's presence nearby during the crime, and messages from his iCloud account discussing the same model of gun used at the shooting. Gray was apprehended at his mother's residence and is now preparing for his next court appearance, which is scheduled for April 6, 2025.
The weapon in question, a Glock 22 handgun, has a convoluted history, intricately tied to Gray's family. NOLA.com revealed that a Jefferson Parish judge had previously ordered the same gun to be returned to Gray's mother after it was confiscated from Gray's brother in an unrelated arrest last year. Further inquiry brought to light that at the time of the shootings, Curtis Gray was on probation for an aggravated battery charge from a drive-by shooting in 2023, adding a layer of complexity and controversy to the case due to the fact that Gray was under a suspended sentence at the time of this latest incident.
