Baton Rouge’s newest rap star, Real Bleedawhose, whose real name is David Catherine, now faces a long uphill battle as his career and freedom have been put on the line for the murder of a beloved community leader. The 22-year-old artist was arrested Tuesday, June 10, in the Sept. 2024 killing of Teressa Calligan, a beloved activist and educator in the Baton Rouge community.
Calligan was the dean of coding at the Walls Project’s Futures Fund and devoted her life to preparing students and young people by providing them access to education and technology. She was murdered at Airline Highway and Greenwell Street, and her death shook the city, where she labored mightily to make it a better place.
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Real Bleeda’s arrest is the latest in a series of legal issues that plagued him early this year. He was facing first-degree murder charges while free on bond for unrelated gun and drug charges tied to his arrest in January 2025.
May brought things to a new low when a video surfaced of him reportedly brandishing a gun during an altercation outside Monroe’s Pecanland Mall. The incident, which occurred on May 19, 2025, quickly went viral and aided the authorities in identifying and finding him. He was arrested days later, on May 21, 2025, and he was booked on May 28, 2025, on several charges that included two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of an illegal weapon, and rioting and was charged $22,500 on that bond.
Not satisfied to stop there, Real Bleeda was taken in again on May 25, 2025, after men at a relative’s house in West Baton Rouge Parish drew more attention from both local law enforcement and state officials. His first visit to Park Forest Middle School, where his appearance due to his gang involvement sparked outrage, further already heightened public concern.
Authorities say Real Bleeda is a known member of the Bleedas street gang, a bad look for an artist who appeared to have a promising career in the world of rap. While many fans are working to understand this, calls for justice are being made from the Baton Rouge area and beyond, particularly because of Calligan’s tireless work to help underserved children.
Calligan’s killing has sparked dialogue about the duty of public figures, about the threat posed by uncontrolled gang conduct, and about the fragility of gains in communities that are struggling to confront systemic issues.
The next court event for Real Bleeda is a bond review set for July 17, 2025, and then a motion hearing on August 12, 2025. Until then, Baton Rouge watches, mourning the loss or questioning the fall from grace and not quite believing that the voice at the mic became entwined in a murder case.
Now, the story of a rapper rising from the depths of Southern hip-hop has become a cautionary tale of decisions, repercussions, and a city’s collective heartbreak.
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