Washington, May 13 (IANS) In another mass shooting incident in the US, gunmen opened fire on a Mother’s Day parade in New Orleans, the largest city in Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal’s state of Louisiana, injuring 19 people.
No fatalities have been reported so far from the Sunday afternoon shooting, which is the fourth major incident of mass shootings in a year in the US where gun culture is endemic and a powerful gun lobby has prevented passage of stricter gun laws.
The wounded in the shooting in the city, known as the home of jazz, included 10 men and seven women as well as a boy and a girl, both 10, with graze wounds to the body.
The victims were marching in what is known as a second line parade, or a crowd of revellers following the traditional “main line” or “first line” brass band marching in the streets.
At least three people were spotted running away from the scene after the shooting on North Villere Street at 1:45 p.m., local Nola.com reported citing police.
One suspect was described as a man between the ages of 18 and 22 with short hair and wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said there may have been as many as three shooters, and that two different types of weapons were likely used.
Many of the victims were grazed, some by bullets that ricocheted. “At this point, there are no fatalities, and most of the wounds are not life-threatening,” Nola.com cited spokesperson Remi Braden as saying in an email.
“But all medical conditions are not known at this time as victims were rushed to nearby hospitals,” Braden said.
“Detectives are conducting interviews, retrieving any surveillance video in the area and, of course, collecting all evidence. This is an extremely unusual occurrence, and we’re confident that we will make swift arrests.”
Dr. Jeff Elder, director of New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (EMS), said three patients brought in were in critical condition and went straight to operating rooms. The rest, he said, were in good to serious condition and were admitted to the emergency room.
There were about 300 to 400 people participating in the Mother’s Day parade, about 200 people apparently were in the area at the time of the shooting, Serpas said.
The New Orleans coroner said no fatalities have been reported from the shooting.
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