NEW ORLEANS, La. — When gunfire erupted along the route of a celebrated New Orleans Mardi Gras parade, a teenager was killed, and a 4-year-old girl was among the injured, police Superintendent Michelle Woodfork said Monday.
A 21-year-old man was quickly apprehended, and two guns were recovered at the scene, where police were already present, according to Woodfork. After initially imprisoning the man on a charge of illegally carrying a weapon, police announced late Monday that the man was now facing a charge of second-degree murder.
It was unclear whether more arrests were on the way.
Woodfork stated that homicide investigators were looking for more information, including a possible motive and whether more than one person fired shots.
Carnival season began on January 6 and is nearing its end in New Orleans as it prepares for Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. The largest parades take place in the final days, drawing thousands of spectators along the routes and into the narrow streets outside the bars and restaurants of the French Quarter. To keep the peace, the New Orleans police department is receiving assistance from other Louisiana law enforcement agencies.
Thousands Of Locals And Tourists Flock To See Mardi Gras
The shooting occurred on St. Charles Avenue on Sunday night as the Krewe of Bacchus approached the halfway point of its five-mile (8-kilometer) route.
Thousands of locals and tourists flock to see the procession of marching bands, dance troupes, and 32 elaborate floats every year. Performers and revelers had passed through the city’s historic Garden District and were on their way to the Central Business District when panicked onlookers fled for cover.
The teen who died was between the ages of 15 and 18, according to Woodfork, but he was not immediately identified. The other four victims were a 4-year-old girl and three adults, two men and a woman, ages 18 to 24. They were hospitalized and then released.
“This was a one-time occurrence,” Woodfork said. She and other city officials said the shooting ruined what had otherwise been a peaceful Carnival celebration this year.
However, during Mardi Gras parades, sporadic, sometimes fatal violence is recurring. Woodfork mentioned previous issues in the vicinity of Sunday’s shooting. In 2015, two men were killed nearby when gunfire erupted during the Muses parade.
SOURCE – (AP)
