The Sunday night shootout happened as hundreds of people – possibly as many as 500 – gathered at the Bunny Friend Playground in what police described as a block party.
Advertisement
A shooting in a New Orleans park left 16 people injured, police said.
New Orleans police said witnesses claimed that both groups involved in the shooting ran off immediately after the gunfire. “We’re not going to stand for it. We’ll never stand for it”, Harrison said.
Police chief Michael Harrison, who told reporters that the wounded were taken to three area hospitals, issued an urgent appeal for witnesses to come forward.
“I’m outraged at an unbelievable level… for those who decided everybody’s life in that park did not matter”, Landrieu said. Police said neither event had a permit. The motivation for the shooting is not known at this time and a police manhunt is underway for the perpetrators of the crime. Police were already at the parade and heard the gunshots coming from the nearby park and responded quickly to the scene.
Harrison and Landrieu continued to press the public for tips to help track down the shooters, of which Harrison said there are multiple.
Police said they are not sure how serious the injuries are at this time. The largest one occurred in 2013 when 19 people were injured in a shooting at a Mother’s Day second-line parade in the 7th ward.
New Orleans police Commander Chris Goodley, speaking in a video clip posted by the New Orleans Times-Picayune website, said the crowd at the park remained “orderly” after the shooting.
Advertisement
“It’s a damn shame that young kids can’t even breathe fresh air at the playground”, the mayor said, recalling the woman’s remark. Police say that all 17 victims were either directly shot or suffered a graze wound, and all are listed in stable condition.
