1 dead, 4 injured in Mardi Gras parade route shooting; suspect arrested
Feb 20, 2023, 6:32 AM | Updated: May 21, 2023, 4:26 pm
Police said five people were shot along a Mardi Gras parade route in New Orleans. A suspect is in custody.
(CNN) — A suspect is in custody after one person was killed and four others were injured in a shooting Sunday night along a Mardi Gras parade route ahead of the city’s raucous celebration this week, police said.
“We were able to find two weapons on scene and also apprehended what we believe to be a shooter,” New Orleans Police Department Chief Deputy Superintendent Hans Ganthier said at a news conference. “Whether he’s the sole shooter or not, we will determine through investigation.”
The shooting injured a young girl, a woman and three men, including one who was later pronounced dead, according to the New Orleans Police Department. The other four victims are in stable condition, the department said.
The gunfire erupted around 9:30 p.m. along the route of the popular Krewe of Bacchus parade — traditionally held ahead of the Mardi Gras celebration this Tuesday — interrupting a quintessential New Orleans festivity and underscoring the continued prevalence of gun violence in all venues of American life. The parade was scheduled to begin shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
After hearing gunshots, police officers responded to the scene, along with members of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Department, Louisiana State Police and Department of Corrections, Ganthier said.
It is unclear what led up to the shooting, he said.
“This is really not something we wanted to see. We really wanted this to be a safe Mardi Gras and we’ll continue to work towards that end,” Ganthier said. “However, we really, really want to get the public’s help and if there were other individuals involved, please call Crime Stoppers.”
The US has suffered 80 mass shootings in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people were shot, not including the shooter.
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