The brother of the man shot dead at a bar in Mid-City pleaded with his killer to turn themselves in while at a benefit for the victim's family on Friday.
"I would hope that he and whoever is around him does the right thing," said Brian Turner, 46, whose brother, 53-year-old Darriel King, was shot and killed outside of Wit's Inn bar on North Carrollton Avenue Sunday night.
Dozens joined Turner at the bar Friday evening, a night when all proceeds from sales went to Turner and King's family. The community has rallied around King for his bravery, with many calling him a hero. King was shot by a man after he denied him entry into the bar, which many believed prevented violence that could have been caused by an intoxicated person with a weapon inside the establishment.
Police are still searching for King's killer, who police say fled the scene just before midnight in a white Kia Soul.
"Saving everybody in that bar at the time and everybody outside, it fits," said Justin Brown, owner of Empower You Nola, a community advocacy group.
Nearby residents and Joe Giarrusso, the New Orleans City Council member who represents the district that includes Wit's Inn, have complained about it and other bars in the area for letting parties get out of control over the past year, leading to lawlessness and a rowdy atmosphere.
Turner, however, doesn't blame Wit's Inn or any other business in the area, instead emphasizing the need for the community to come together to reduce gun violence.
"We got to stop it," he said.
Brown, 37, often ran into King at area events, as the two worked side-by-side advocating for youth empowerment and community advancement. King was a man of the community, who "loved protecting the city," Brown said. To show up and support King at Friday's event, "it was the least I could do."
Brown supported King when he sought to be elected to the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee a few years ago. He lauded his slain friend's commitment to the community, a torch that will now need to be carried by others.
"I don't know who could walk in those shoes and who's willing to do it," he said.
Turner said his family has been hurting since King's death, but they are also optimistic about carrying on his legacy.
"There's the sensitive loss, but a lot of it at this point in time is hope," he said.