NEW ORLEANS, LA — Heartache and disbelief hang heavy over the Hollygrove neighborhood after the tragic shooting death of 17-year-old Eric Simmons III, a beloved Carver High School student who was gunned down Wednesday afternoon while walking home from school.

According to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), the shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. in the 8200 block of Stroelitz Street, near the Cypress Trace Apartments. Police say Simmons had just gotten off his school bus, still dressed in his Carver High uniform, when several suspects approached him and opened fire. He died at the scene before help could arrive.

The quiet afternoon quickly turned into chaos as police units and crime scene investigators filled the street, placing yellow evidence markers along the road. Neighbors, shaken by what they witnessed, could hardly process the violence that had erupted so close to home.

“I just came out and saw all the police cars and figured something happened—not knowing that this lil’ kid got murdered,” said one resident who wished to remain anonymous.

Another neighbor recalled hearing what sounded like fireworks. “She said she heard like three small gunshots but didn’t think much of it because it sounded like firecrackers,” said another community member.

NOPD spokesperson Reese Harper described the shooting as a heartbreaking tragedy. “No child deserves to lose their life this way,” Harper said. “Children should be able to go to school and come home from school without being harmed. This has shaken the community deeply.”

Residents in Hollygrove echoed those sentiments, expressing grief and frustration over the ongoing violence that continues to claim young lives. “They’re killing our future,” one man said quietly. “It’s sad. I feel sorry for the family.”

Investigators are working tirelessly to determine the motive and identify those responsible. The department is urging anyone with information to contact NOPD or Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at (504) 822-1111.

The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office will confirm the official cause of death following an autopsy and family notification.

For now, friends, family, and the community mourn a young life filled with promise a student who was simply walking home, unaware that his last moments would break the hearts of an entire city. Eric Simmons III’s name now joins a growing list of young souls lost to senseless violence a reminder that behind every headline is a family shattered, and a future stolen.