A shooting at the New Orleans carnival leaves one dead and four injured, including a girl

By Dennis Romero and Claudia Johnson -

A man was killed and four were injured, including a girl, in a shooting that broke out at the end of Sunday's Krewe of Bacchus parade, one of the biggest of the New Orleans carnival season, police said. who announced that a suspect has already been detained.

The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. in an area of ​​the Uptown neighborhood, located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River and very crowded with people due to the large number of bars and nightclubs it gathers.

Authorities cordoned off the area where the shooting broke out during the celebration of the New Orleans carnival, on February 19, 2023. Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images

A reporter for WDSU, the local NBC News station in New Orleans, was at the scene when the shooting occurred and reported that the parade stopped as soon as the shots were heard.

“It sounded like 20 shots to me,” Stacey Morigeau, a woman who also witnessed the shooting, told WDSU.

“There were rapid shots and everyone started running,” she added.

[Three teenagers are shot to death by a man in a house in Houston.

Another girl was able to escape with a baby in her arms]

Authorities said at an informal press conference that agents deployed in the area for the carnival celebrations immediately went to the scene when they heard the shots and found five wounded and two guns there.

Police collected evidence and clues at the scene, including a handgun, following the February 19, 2023 shooting in New Orleans.Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

"We were able to quickly apprehend the suspect we believe to be responsible for this incident," New Orleans Police Deputy Chief Hans Ganthier said.

The reason for the shooting is unknown at this time.

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“With the quick arrest, [deputies] were able to keep the rest of the public safe,” he said.

“That being said, this is not something we like to see,” she stressed.

“We really wanted it to be a safe Mardi Gras, and we continue to work toward that end.”

New Orleans is known for its carnival, especially Mardi Gras -which this year is celebrated on Tuesday, February 21, a celebration that brings together thousands of people in the streets.