By LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / June 9, 1999

NORCO – Television helped identify the body of an unknown young black male, found June 3 shot dead off the CC Road in the middle of the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

St. Charles Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Joe Cardella said the victim wasidentified as Shannon Carter, 16, a resident of the 2500 block of Dryades Street in New Orleans.

He added that information released earlier in the day Monday and made public that evening on television produced a phone call from the missing teen-ager’s family, which led to the positive identification.

“Somebody came forward, based on the information we put out,” Cardella said. “All through the weekend there was a rash of young people shot inNew Orleans.”Sheriff Greg C. Champagne earlier described the victim as a male, agedbetween 13 and 16, approximately 5-feet-8 in height, 122 pounds.

The victim had long, “cornroll” braids in his hair and wore a white T- shirt, black jean shorts with an IMPAC label, white socks and was shoeless.

He also wore a blue plastic rosary around his neck.

A Harahan man exercising hunting dogs in the area found a large spot of blood on a dirt road quarter-mile north of the CC Road.

Upon checking the area, he found the body lying face down, near the bank of a tidal pond.

Champagne said the victim died from two gunshot wounds to the chest, making it the second homicide in St. Charles Parish this year.Anyone in the metropolitan New Orleans area with information helpful to the investigation are advised to phone Detective Joe Lawler at 443-0334 or 783-6807.

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