NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A teenager was killed and four more were wounded along the Krewe of Bacchus parade route in Uptown New Orleans Sunday night.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, the shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. Officers patrolling the area for the parade heard multiple shots fired and were steps away from the scene, the department said.
The four people wounded were a 4-year-old girl, an 18-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman, and a 24-year-old woman. A single victim died, a male between the ages of 15 and 18, police said.
VIDEO: NOPD arrests suspected gunman after 5 people shot along Mardi Gras parade route
On Monday, New Orleans Police Department Interim Chief Michelle Woodfork announced the arrest of 21-year-old Mansour Mbodj in connection to the shooting. It was unclear if police believed Mbodj was the shooter. Mbodj was charged with illegal carrying of a weapon, however, police said more charges could be coming as the investigation furthers.
The NOPD recovered two weapons believed to be involved, but as of Monday morning, had not yet determined who fired the shots on Sunday night and whether there was anyone else involved.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Carnival season, which begins Jan. 6, is in its final raucous days in New Orleans heading into Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent begins. The largest parades roll in the final days, drawing thousands of spectators along the routes and into the narrow streets outside the French Quarter’s bars and restaurants. A shorthanded New Orleans police force is getting help from other Louisiana law enforcement agencies to help keep the peace.
The Sunday night shooting happened on St. Charles Avenue as the Krewe of Bacchus made its way to the halfway point of its five-mile route.
The procession of marching bands, dance troupes and 32 elaborate floats draws thousands of locals and tourists each year. Performers and revelers had passed through the city’s historic Garden District and were nearing the Central Business District when gunfire sent panicked onlookers running for cover.
“This was an isolated incident,” Woodfork said. She and other city officials noted that the shooting marred what had largely been peaceful Carnival celebrations this year.
However, sporadic, sometimes fatal violence is a recurring problem during Mardi Gras parades. Woodfork noted previous problems in the area of Sunday’s shooting. Two men died nearby when gunfire broke out during the Muses parade in 2015.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.