Five people, including a young girl, are shot dead at the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade in New Orleans after police arrest a suspect
- Three men and two women were injured in the shooting on Sunday night
- Filming took place at 9:30 p.m. at the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade in New Orleans
- New Orleans police arrested one person and recovered two guns at the scene
Five people – including a young girl – were shot dead at the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade in New Orleans on Sunday night.
One person was arrested at the scene, New Orleans Deputy PD Chief Hans Ganthier said in a news conference. The shooter’s motive is still unclear.
The shooting took place around 9:30 p.m. along the parade route at the intersection of St. Charles and Terpsichore streets. The parade was interrupted for a short time.
Three men and two women were injured in the shooting, police said. One of the victims was a young girl. All five victims were taken to a local hospital, where one is in critical condition and four are stable.
Four people – including a young girl – shot at the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade in New Orleans
Ganthier did not say which sacrifice was critical, but noted the young girl was stable.
The Krewe of Bacchus parade, an annual Mardi Gras tradition, was temporarily suspended as police cordoned off part of the site looking for evidence.
Police said two guns were seized at the scene after the suspect was arrested.
“We were quickly able to apprehend the suspect who we believe is responsible,” Ganthier said.
He added that he wasn’t sure if anyone else was involved in the shooting, but asked anyone who was at the scene who might have information to call Crimestoppers at 822-1111.
Some parade-goers told WWL-TV they heard at least a dozen gunshots and saw people tripping over themselves and trying to flee.
“We really didn’t want to see that,” Ganthier said. “We really wanted this to be a safe Mardi Gras.”
Photos and video of the parade route now show debris in the street and belongings left behind, many of which were left in a hurry when gunfire rang out.
The parade resumed later that evening, but the crowd had thinned.