New Orleans police have arrested 18-year-old Michael McBride in the November shooting death of 17-year-old Eric C. Simmons III in Hollygrove, a case that has haunted the neighborhood for months and pushed grieving family and friends to demand answers.
Arrest Followed Months-Long Probe
The NOPD's Violent Offender Warrant Squad took McBride into custody Tuesday at a home in the 8400 block of Dixon Street, then booked him into Orleans Parish Prison on a second-degree murder charge, according to NOLA.com. Jail records put his booking time at about 9:10 a.m., the outlet reported. Investigators have not publicly discussed a possible motive or explained in detail how they say McBride is tied to the fatal shooting.
Victim Was Returning From School
Simmons, a senior at Carver High School, was walking home from school on Nov. 12, 2025, when several people approached him and opened fire, authorities told WDSU. He was still wearing his school uniform and carrying a backpack when officers found him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The killing sparked a vigil in Hollygrove where family members, classmates and neighbors gathered to mourn and to urge anyone with information to speak up.
Other Recent Arrests In The Neighborhood
McBride's arrest lands as NOPD continues to work a string of lethal-force cases in Hollygrove this winter. Police previously booked 35-year-old George Cowart on two counts of second-degree murder in connection with a February case, and officials said the Violent Offender Warrant Squad teamed up with the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force to make that arrest, according to NOLA.com. Authorities say those joint operations are part of a stepped-up push to go after violent offenders in the area.
McBride's second-degree murder booking remains an allegation, and it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether to pursue formal charges in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. Anyone with information about Simmons' killing is urged to contact the NOPD Homicide Section, authorities told WDSU.
