NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans police say five people were shot on Mardi Gras night outside a gas station/convenience store. It happened a little before 9:00 in the 5100 block of Saint Claude Avenue.
One of the victims died at the scene. A second victim died at the hospital. As of Tuesday night, there was no word on the conditions of the remaining three victims.
At the scene, police used crime tape to cordon off the parking lot of the LA Xpress store by the corner of Saint Claude and Lizardi. Detectives used numbered markers to show the locations of spent shell casings from the fired bullets.
The shooting was the third of the day on this Mardi Gras.
The first shooting happened in the CBD in the 700 block of Union Street. The crime scene was not far from the parade route on Saint Charles Avenue. According to police, at about 3:15 in the afternoon, a group of about ten people began fighting and one of them pulled out a gun and opened fire. One person was hit in the leg and a second in the head.
A little more than an hour after the first shooting, NOPD officers heard gunshots on the Uptown parade route near the corner of Saint Charles Avenue and Second Street. In that case, police say two men got into an argument along the parade route and that’s when one of them opened fire. The victim was 30-years-old, and police say he died at the hospital. Police say they were able to identify a witness who may be able to provide information about the attacker.
If you have information on any of the Mardi Gras shooting investigations, call CrimeStoppers. You don’t have to reveal your name, and you could earn a cash reward. The number is 504-822-1111.