Shamar Holmes, Gun Possession, Louisiana 2023

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Shamar Holmes, 23, of New Orleans, is headed to federal prison for 57 months after admitting to illegally possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction. U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier handed down the sentence Monday, adding three years of supervised release to the term.

The case stems from a September 2022 shooting on Interstate 10 near the Claiborne Avenue exit. According to court records, Holmes was struck multiple times when another vehicle opened fire on his car. New Orleans Police Department officers responding to the scene seized Holmes’ vehicle as evidence. A subsequent search uncovered a .40 caliber handgun stashed under the driver’s seat.

The discovery triggered the federal charge because Holmes had already pleaded guilty to a felony in Orleans Parish back in January 2022. That conviction legally barred him from owning or possessing any firearms at the time of the shooting. The details of the original felony conviction have not been publicly released.

Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit, successfully argued that Holmes’ possession of the weapon constituted a clear violation of federal gun control laws. In addition to the prison sentence and supervised release, Holmes was ordered to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) partnered with the New Orleans Police Department in the investigation. The case is being touted as a success under “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN), a Department of Justice program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities.

PSN, recently bolstered by a new DOJ strategy launched in May 2021, focuses on building trust with communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, and prioritizing strategic enforcement. While the program’s effectiveness remains debated, the DOJ continues to emphasize it as a key component of its crime reduction efforts. This case represents just one example of the program’s purported impact in New Orleans.

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