Chance O’Neal Smith
Age 15
New Orleans, Louisiana
Clothing designer never made the catwalk
His mother was surprised to find out he was considering trying out for the football team.
She knew him as the kid who enjoyed listening to music, playing video games and designing clothes. He was frequently laughing. “He was excited about being in high school,” his mother said. She warned him, “You’re going to have to stand on your own.”
Chance O’Neal Smith, 15, did not get to stand on his own for long. The Eleanor McMain Secondary freshman was shot and killed at a house just around the corner from his own home in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 18, 2018.
