NEW ORLEANS — A well-known Mardi Gras Indian queen has reportedly died at a hospital Tuesday after being wounded in a double shooting in New Orleans East.
Friends and family members tell The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate that 55-year-old Kim Boutte was one of two people hurt in a shooting after a funeral repast.
The New Orleans Police Department said the shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. outside the Family Dollar on Read Boulevard near Morrison Road. Boutte and a man were taken to a hospital where she later died. The man is listed in stable condition.
Boutte, the big queen of the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi black-masking Indians, was a recognized figure in the tribe and community. Her uncle, Big Chief Victor Harris, said Boutte began masking as the tribe's queen when she was around 5 years old.
"She been there from the beginning. And she was one of the most spiritual people who ever wore a suit," Harris said.
Police did not identify a suspect or possible motive for the shooting. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
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