Baton Rouge rapper RealBleeda was arrested on June 10, 2025, in connection with a first-degree murder that took place on Airline Highway, Baton Rouge, in 2024. RealBleeda, whose real name is David Catherine, is behind bars for reportedly killing Teressa Calligan, dean of coding for the Futures Fund at the Walls Project and a respected educator.
As per WBRZ's June 10, 2025, report, Calligan was shot at the intersection of Airline Highway and Greenwell Street. Database for song lyrics, Genius mentions that David Catherine is a rapper, a member of the Bleedas, and the cousin of CoBleeda and TrueBleeda.
The gang, Bleedas, that the 22-year-old Baton Rouge rapper is a part of isn't a big group, but is feared in the region. According to We Book Them, the gang comprises: True Bleeda and Cobleeda, 54 Don DaDa, and RealBleeda. It was formed by True Bleeda, aka Donte Dorsey, and David Catherine as they were talking in front of a store one day and reflecting on the loss and pain felt in the streets.
On June 10, 2025, the Baton Rouge police department stated that they believe Catherine was behind the shooting of Teressa Calligan, wherein she was waiting at a traffic light at the highway intersection when a car pulled up next to her. The occupant of the vehicle, speculated to be RealBleed, reportedly opened fire on Calligan's car, resulting in her car crashing into a sheriff's deputy's vehicle.
Additionally, the police said that Calligan's death wasn't a random act of violence. Public information officer with the Baton Rouge police department, Darren Ahmed, said,
"In this instance, she just wasn't the target they were looking for; she was an innocent bystander going on about her business."
Teressa Calligan's employer described her as someone who had no beef with anybody. Her Walls Project employer also told The Advocate in 2024 that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
More details about RealBleeda's run-ins with the law explored
The recent instance of RealBleeda's arrest is not the rapper's first run-in with the law. The rapper was recently taken into custody by the Baton Rouge police department and charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, illegal carrying of a weapon, and riot.
On May 19, 2025, Catherine was brandishing a handgun and threatening to shoot at two men of another gang called YNN at the Pecanland Mall, 4700 Millhaven Road. Shortly after, videos of the incident started making the rounds on social media, resulting in the rapper being identified as the culprit.
As per WBRZ, RealBleeda was also arrested on charges of carrying a weapon with drugs, obstruction of justice, and possession of Schedule II drugs in West Baton Rouge. While the timeline of his West Baton Rouge arrest is not known, the rapper was captured during a raid of his uncle's residence.
Additionally, RealBleeda made headlines by visiting his alma mater, Park Forest Middle School, in March 2025 to donate snacks, PlayStation 5, and games for the LEAP tests.
However, videos of Catherine dancing with students on one of his explicit tracks Step2k25, went viral, wherein the Baton Rouge rapper and students were seen miming the act of holding guns and aiming them at the camera.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill expressed her discontent via a tweet on March 22, 2025, stating,
"Since when can you just show up on campus and make a video with school kids? That violates a number of school privacy laws. This is appalling on so many levels. Crime is already out of control in Baton Rouge. Let’s not glorify violence at our schools or any place of learning."
WBRZ's report mentioned that RealBleeda's attorney, Ryan Thompson, asked the court to delay the rapper's bond revocation hearing until the next motion hearing. Additionally, David Catherine's bond review is scheduled for July 17, 2025, followed by a motion hearing on August 12, 2025.