Police have identified the bullet-riddled body of 15-year-old New Orleans native Christine Marcelin, the girlfriend of Brandon Adams, another teenager fatally shot last week in the Desire neighborhood.
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According to NOLA.com, a homeless person found Christine’s body on Monday about 7 a.m. in the 5000 block of Alcee Fortier Boulevard, authorities said. Relatives identified Marcelin, who carried no identification, the next day.
Christine and Brandon were an eighth-grade couple who attended KIPP Believe College Prep on South Carrollton Avenue.
Last week, Brandon was fatally wounded in a double shooting Friday night in the Desire area. Adams’ mother, Shawan Adams, said her son walked to Sampson Park, near the corner of Louisa and Benefit streets, on Friday to play basketball to meet Christine.
A few hours later, she sent his older brother Eric Adams, 17, to the park. They left Christine, who watched them walk away and then went to a friend’s house in the Desire area, Shawan Adams said.
After a stop for candy, the two brothers were walking home along Higgins Boulevard when they were attacked near Montegut Street by two masked gunmen on foot.
Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said Tuesday that investigators have received “good leads” in the cases but have yet to determine whether the two are connected or whether Christine was targeted because she knew with whom Brandon had quarreled before he was shot.
Ms. Adams said Christine came to comfort the grieving family on Saturday morning. They put her name on the funeral program because she had wanted to say a few words about Brandon.
According to Christine, she said some teens at Sampson Park were bullying Brandon, saying that because he wasn’t from around there, he wasn’t welcome to play sports in what they perceived as “their park and their center.” He simply ignored them, Christine said. But she feared that the run-in might have cost Brandon his life.
Many fear that the death of Christine might have been over a senseless defense of turf.
It’s not immediately clear when Christine was killed, but her aunt said Christine last spoke to her mother on Sunday.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Adams and Marcelin family for their losses.
