NEW ORLEANS — Wednesday, February 4, 2026, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams stood alongside faith leaders, the Chase family, and community members at the historic corner of Orleans Avenue and Miro Street to pray for peace, healing, and unity following recent violence at Dooky Chase restaurant.

Organized through Communities of Hope in partnership with the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office NODICE initiative, the gathering centered on a unified message: New Orleans will not surrender its sacred spaces or its sense of safety to violence.

“We normally would have an event like this in one of our sanctuaries,” said Joe Givens, who helped lead the program. “But we have God’s blue sky here, surrounded by homes and our families on this historic corner designed for one thing, and that’s to pray for peace in our city.”

Faith leaders emphasized that prayer is not retreat; it is a commitment to collective responsibility, reconciliation, and action.

“Today gathers religious leaders, community leaders, members of this community to come together united first and foremost, in prayer,” said Father Ajani Gibson of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church. “Because prayer indeed changes things, but most importantly, we come together. If we are going to be instruments of change in our city, we can’t do it in our silos; it must be done collectively.”

Fr. Pat Williams, Rector of St. Louis Cathedral and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, echoed that resolve.

“As people of hope, we insist that violence will not have the last word,” he said. “Peace and hope will. We extend our prayers and blessings upon this place, so that we will all know that peace has the final word.”

Members of the Chase family thanked the community for the outpouring of support and affirmed their long-standing commitment to Treme and New Orleans.

“The Chase family has been overwhelmed with the love that our community has shown. “We are here today because we want to be instruments of peace. This corner of Orleans and Miro, we have been here for 85 years because we want to be that beacon of hope for our community, for the entire city of New Orleans.”

Traci Chase expressed gratitude for the coalition of support that has surrounded families impacted by the incident.

“We are grateful for all of you, for your thoughts, your prayers, and for leading with love for our community to recover from this,” she said.

Edgar “Dook” Chase IV emphasized the family’s responsibility to respond in the spirit of service and togetherness.

“We were taught that the Chase family’s hospitality was service to our community,” he said. “Our first and foremost priority will always be the members of the city of New Orleans

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams thanked the coalition of clergy and community leaders, calling them critical partners in preventing violence before it starts.

“If you’re a believer, you know that faith leaders are true first responders,” Williams said, “because they get there before someone forms an intention in their mind to fire a shot.”

Williams also reflected on the meaning of Dooky Chase as more than a landmark—describing it as a refuge for generations.

“Dooky Chase has been my place of safety–my safe space,” he said. “This place has been this community’s safe space, a place for people to escape the horrors of this world for 85 years and we cannot allow anyone to snatch that collective belief from us. And we will not.”

He stressed that restoring peace requires shared commitment across the city.

“The only way that we can find that peace is by keeping God first in all things—in the courtroom, in these city streets, and in our places of refuge,” Williams said.

Councilmember Eugene Green noted the historic significance of the site—especially during Black History Month—while affirming city support for the families impacted.

“It’s important to recognize this is, in a way, a sacred space,” Green said. “For 85 years, the Chase family has invested in our community. They served much more than food. This community deserves the best.”

Green added that, even in sorrow, the gathering reflected a city choosing unity.

“One of the reasons that we’re moving in the right direction is right around me—everyone who is here to support the Chase family and to support our community at this time of sorrow,” he said. “We will support you in whatever way that we can.”

The gathering concluded with a benediction from Sister Janine of the Congregation of Saint Joseph, calling on residents to take personal responsibility for building peace in every way.

“Each of us can do something to stem the tide of violence, abuse, discord,” she said. “Bless each one of us with the commitment to spread peace in simple but not insignificant ways. Please intervene in our world, through us—individually and also collectively.”

Williams acknowledged the quiet strength of Kareem Harris’s mother, whose courage and grace stood as a testament to the resilience of New Orleans families who carry unimaginable loss and still choose love, faith, and community. “No parent should ever have to stand where she stands,” Williams said. “Yet even in her grief, she has shown this city what strength looks like — not anger, not despair, but dignity, resolve, and a belief that her son’s life matters.” Williams added that Kareem’s memory, and his mother’s courage serve as a reminder of what this city is fighting for: a New Orleans where every child is protected, every family is valued, and no mother has to endure such loss again.

WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE

The full press conference is available at the link below.

Press Conference Video

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