Police are still seeking leads in a shooting at historic Dooky Chase's Restaurant in New Orleans, where one man was killed and three injured on Jan. 16 in a targeted attack.
Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans is offering a reward of $13,500 for information leading to an arrest in the incident, which took place during the dinner hours at the 87-year-old eatery founded by the storied Chase family in the city’s Tremé neighborhood.
“As a family rooted in faith and community, we lift up in prayer all those impacted by this random and tragic incident,” said the family, known to be Black Catholics, in a statement shared on social media.
“Guided by faith, we will continue to move forward together with strength, compassion, and unity.”
A priest blessed Dooky Chase Restaurant before the eatery reopens today. @FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/D7UL1JdGd1
— Chris Welty (@Chris_R_Welty) January 20, 2026
Fr Ajani Gibson, pastor of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in New Orleans—the longtime spiritual home of the Chase family—blesses Dooky Chase's Restaurant on Tuesday.
19-year-old Kareem Harris, a former employee of the restaurant, was killed in the shooting and is believed to have been the sole target. According to witnesses, Harris fled into the restaurant while attempting to escape an assailant, who followed him inside and began to open fire in a crowd gathered in the foyer.
Three uninvolved female tourists were wounded by the gunman, whom local police described as a Black male who was wearing a black hoodie at the time of the shooting. The NOPD has noted that other individuals may have been involved in the preceding chase.
NOPD Police Chief Anne Kilpatrick said Monday that one victim from Los Angeles remained in critical condition after suffering five gunshot wounds, while one other (also from Los Angeles) was stable. A third suffered only graze wounds and was released from a local hospital on Friday.
“I would say that because it was so targeted it appears to be a retaliatory type of shooting,” said Kirkpatrick during a press conference, though she declined to speculate on a more detailed motive.
“We don't know. We don't know yet.”
Founded in 1939 as a food stand by Emily and Edgar “Dooky” Chase Sr., Dooky Chase’s Restaurant has been in its current location at the intersection of Orleans Avenue and North Miro Street since 1941. The late Creole cuisine chef Leah Chase, the daughter-in-law of the founders, took over the restaurant in 1946 with her husband Dooky Chase Jr. and remained actively involved until her death in 2019.
During her era, the Black-owned restaurant became known as a meeting spot for civil rights activists, including meetings involving Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the Freedom Riders, and others.
In modern times, Dooky Chase’s has hosted multiple presidents and is still operated by the Chases. In 2025, the establishment received the prestigious Bib Gourmand designation from the Michelin Guide and was named one of “America’s Classics” by the James Beard Foundation.
Attempts by BCM to reach the restaurant were unsuccessful on Tuesday afternoon, though reservation portals indicate that the restaurant will reopen for business on Wednesday morning.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
