“There are two different scenes here. There are two different shooting scenes. They are 45 minutes apart,” Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said during a Sunday evening news conference.
Despite additional police resources at the event, the shooting broke out around 3:40 p.m.
“A car was reportedly involved … and shots were fired into the crowd,” Kirkpatrick said.
Nine people were injured and transported to hospitals. “All these victims are alive,” she said.
Police “know two weapons were used according to ballistics that remained at the scene,” Kirkpatrick said.
No additional information was provided about the firearm.
About 45 minutes later, up on the bridge, we had another shooting, Kirkpatrick said.
Three other people were hit by gunfire, according to police.
“Because cars couldn’t have been on that bridge, we know the shooting happened in a crowd,” she said.
Two people were killed in the second shooting, and another is “in extremely critical condition,” Kirkpatrick said.
Police say it’s still unclear if the shootings are related because they happened 45 minutes apart.
“We’re sure somebody probably has video, film, something, and we’d like them to call” New Orleans police or Crime Stoppers, Kirkpatrick urged.
She said police “had a history” with this other line and “added officers to this event, knowing it had the potential for violence.”
Second-order parades are informal community-led processions, often organized by welfare and leisure clubs or as part of a larger public gathering such as a funeral or celebration.
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The term “second row” refers to the people who follow the main brass band procession, the “front row”.
“It’s a wonderful event … and we wanted it to remain a wonderful event,” she said.
The event draws thousands of people, according to police.