A horrific mass shooting occurred in New Orleans on Sunday in the Upper Ninth Ward. At least 500 people were gathered for the filming of a music video at Bunny Friend Park when shots rang out from at least 3 gunmen. The motivation for the shooting is not known at this time and a police manhunt is underway for the perpetrators of the crime.
According to witnesses, the event occurred after a nearby “Second-line parade was ending that was conducted by the Nine Times Social & Pleasure Club.” Police were already at the parade and heard the gunshots coming from the nearby park and responded quickly to the scene. There were two groups of people gathered at the event, those who attended the parade and those who were participating in the video. When police arrived, they encountered the injured lying on the ground along with items such as keys, hats and purses left scattered by those fleeing the gunfire. So far, police are stating that at least 16 people suffered non-life threatening injuries from the gunmen who fired directly into the crowd.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu stated at a press conference, “At the end of the day it’s really hard to police against a bunch of guys who decide to pull out guns and settle disputes with 300 people between them.” Even though New Orleans has seen its lowest murder rate since 1971, the city still has seen a rise in violent crimes.
