Man Charged With The Murder Security Officer At Basketball Game

NEW ORLEANS — A man from New Orleans has been charged with the murder of an off-duty university police officer outside a high school basketball tournament where he had arrived without a mask.

The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office announced late Thursday that John Shallerhorn, 35, has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Martinus Mitchum on February 26.

According to authorities, Shallerhorn quickly relinquished his pistol and surrendered outside the George Washington Carver High School gymnasium following the incident.

Shallerhorn was also charged with armed robbery with a handgun, according to the indictment. He was caught with valuables seized during a neighboring robbery, according to police.

According to authorities, Martinus, a Tulane University police officer, and a reserve officer for a city court, was providing security for the evening basketball game.

Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said on March 1 that Shallerhorn had punched a school ticket taker in the face after being informed he couldn’t enter.

According to police reports, he has turned away because he wasn’t wearing a face mask, according to a news release issued on Thursday. Police were summoned to remove him out of a casino earlier on Feb. 26 because he wasn’t wearing a mask, according to news reports.

During a March 20 hearing, The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate reported that attorneys Mariah Holder of the parish public defender’s office and William Boggs of the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center were putting up an insanity defense.

Boggs did not reply to a request for comment sent out on Friday.