New Orleans Labor Day weekend shooting suspect’s court records show prior offense
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — There is new information on the case of Chante Mark, the woman accused of fatally shooting another woman after a fight outside a Mid-City bar.
Court records show that this case is not Mark’s first run-in with the law.
In 2023, Mark was arrested in connection with the murder of her ex-boyfriend, 19-year-old Darron Meilleur. Though surveillance footage allegedly tied Mark to the crime, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office never charged her with murder.
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WGNO asked Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche why.
“There was probable cause, but the district attorney’s office concluded there wasn’t sufficient evidence. The facts and evidence that were presented to prosecutors by investigators that made the arrest,” said Goyeneche.
Now, Mark is accused of shooting five women after an argument outside the Shamrock Bar in Mid-City early Sunday morning. One woman, 29-year-old Raven Francis, later died from her injuries.
Goyeneche says crime cameras in the area played a key role in Mark’s latest arrest.
“Caught the video of the shooting incident. They were able to identify the getaway vehicle. Obtain some video of the perpetrators,” said Goyeneche.
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Investigators say that they expect more arrests in connection with Sunday’s shooting. However, because of the backlog of open homicide cases, it may be a while before anyone is tried in Francis’ death.
“The larger the inventory of cases the harder it is and the longer those cases are to be tried because they are competing for time on a judges docket,” said Goyeneche.
Goyeneche went on to say that if Mark is tried for Francis’ murder, her previous arrest won’t be a factor because Mark was never convicted of Meilleur’s murder. It would not be admissible in court.
“Not anything the prosecutor or the judge should take into consideration when determining whether to accept charges for the 2024 homicide or figure out the appropriate sentence would be,” said Goyeneche.
The next court date has not been set, though she was booked on an additional charge of aggravated battery.
Additionally, on Friday, Sept. 6, New Orleans Councilman Joe Giarrusso said the New Orleans Fire Department issued a cease and desist to Shamrock following the Labor Day shooting.
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