At least two people were killed and 10 others were injured in two shootings that occurred during a parade in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, according to local police.
FILE PHOTO: The New Orleans Police department said the two shootings occurred 45 minutes apart.
The two shootings took place 45 minutes apart during a second-line parade—a popular style of parade in New Orleans with live music from brass bands—with thousands gathered along its route.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, the first shooting was reported at around 3:38 p.m. and officers found eight victims with gunshot wounds at the scene and transported nearby hospital for treatment—while a ninth victim “arrived at a local hospital via private conveyance.”
NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick told reporters in a press conference that a car was involved, “shots were fired into the crowd,” and all of the victims from the first scene are alive.
The second incident occurred 45 minutes after the first shooting and police officers found one person dead at the scene and a second person was declared dead after being transported to a hospital.
Police said a third victim also sought treatment at a hospital and they are currently in “stable condition”
Kirkpatrick said the second shooting took place on a bridge along the parade route and since “no cars were able to be on that bridge, we know that the shooting occurred within the crowd.”
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“I’m saddened to learn about this senseless mass shooting in New Orleans this afternoon. I’m praying for the victims & their families. This kind of lawlessness will NOT be tolerated. I’m hopeful the perpetrators are caught soon & prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said on X. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also expressed his condolences and wrote: “The violence must end.”
- The total number of of mass shootings reported across the U.S. so far this year, according to a tracker run by the non-profit Gun Violence Archive. According to the group, an incident is classified as a mass shooting when “a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter.”
Police did not release any details about the victims and no arrests or suspect information was announced. The police said it is unclear if the two shootings were related as the department’s investigation into the shooting is in its “early stages and remains ongoing.”
Second line organizers speak out after mass shooting mars day of celebration: 'We're praying' (The Times-Picayune)
New Orleans police investigating two separate shootings that left 10 injured and 2 dead (WDSU News)