[NEW UPDATE] Mother’s Day Shooting: Suspect Had Earlier Arrest For Gun, Heroin Possession
13 May 2013 - An impromptu Mother's Day parade in New Orleans turned tragic when gunmen opened fire on about 200 people who were marching in the neighbourhood. At least 19 were injured including mothers, sisters and little children. Police believe that the shooting was an act of street violence and not terrorism, but have no leads yet. "Follow this story" as we bring you the latest updates. New Orleans Police Department release image of gunman shooting into crowd at Mother's Day parade -
By Mei Mei Chu — 13 May 2013, 11:13 AM — Updated over 11 years ago
Mother’s Day shooting suspect had earlier arrest for gun, heroin possession
Akein Scott, an accused gangster now the target of a sprawling manhunt, posted bond and was released from Orleans Parish Prison less than two weeks before he allegedly injured 19 people in a shooting during a Mother’s Day parade
theadvocate.com
Scott had been arrested March 5 on suspicion of having heroin and a stolen gun; he was ultimately charged with one count of carrying a gun while carrying drugs.
Scott, 19, was originally held on a $35,000 bond, but released April 30 on a $15,000 one. Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Tuesday called that “a mistake.”
theadvocate.com
The Orleans Parish District Attorney defended his office’s decision to drop some previous charges filed against the Mother's Day parade shooting suspect in relation to previous arrests
wdsu.com
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said within months, he refused the charges against Scott because he could not prove that Scott actually stole the weapons
wdsu.com
New Orleans Police Department release image of gunman shooting into crowd at Mother's Day parade
A still image taken from security camera video released by the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) shows a gunman shooting into a crowd gathered for a Mother's Day second line parade in New Orleans, Louisiana May 12, 2013. REUTERS/NOPD8th/Handout via Reuters
Image via akamaihd.netNew Orleans Mother's Day parade shooting wounded at least 19
At least nineteen people in New Orleans, including two children, were injured on Sunday when multiple gunmen opened fire on a Mother’s Day parade, police said.
nbcnews.com
On Sunday, participants and onlookers were milling about on the streets and the sidewalks of east New Orleans' 7th Ward when shots rang out in quick succession at 1:47 p.m.
Over 300 people were participating in the residential festival, on Frenchmen Street, in the east of the city, when several shots were fired. The incident occurred around 2pm local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday.
The shooting happened at what is known as a second-line parade - an impromptu community procession in which people dance down the street behind the official parade. About 200 people were in the shooting area.
The shooting shattered the festive mood surrounding the parade that drew hundreds of people to the 7th Ward neighborhood of modest row houses not far from the French Quarter.
Cell phone video taken in the aftermath of the shooting shows victims lying on the ground, blood on the pavement and others bending over to help or comfort them.
"We have mothers, sisters, little children who were shot"
"Just a very tragic day for us again in New Orleans, especially on Mother’s Day," Mayor Mitch Landrieu told reporters Sunday evening. “We have mothers that were shot, sisters that were shot, little children that were shot."
A 10-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl were among 19 people shot and wounded at a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans on Sunday, police said.
Police said 10 adult men, seven adult women were struck by bullets. Both of the 10-year-old victims had graze wounds to the body and were in good condition.
nola.comMany of the victims were grazed some by bullets that ricocheted," he said. Two victims are undergoing surgery, according to New Orleans Police Department spokesman Garry Flot said.
reuters.com
A New Orleans doctor confirmed to reporters that he has had to treat 'severe injuries' including wounds to the chest and abdomen. The majority of the injuries are not life-threatening.
At least three of the victims were seriously wounded. Of the rest, many were grazed and authorities said that overall most wounds were not life threatening. No deaths were reported.
Emergency medical responders took nine people to University Hospital, eight of whom had gunshot wounds, while another person was injured in a fall while escaping the shooting, WWLTV reported on its website.
yahoo.comPhotos from the scene
"When you have a society that parades 40 weekends a year, there’s bound to be a murder that falls on the same day and possibly within the vicinity of the parade," Cotton wrote in Gambit in 2010.
Image via leaderpost.com
Police believe that the shooting was an act of street violence and not terrorism, but have no leads yet.
Image via examiner.com
An impromptu Mother's Day parade in New Orleans turned tragic when gunmen opened fire on about 200 people who were marching in the neighbourhood.
Image via examiner.com
New Orleans police superintendent Ronal Serpas told reporters at least one other person was injured as spectators fled the scene.
Image via gannett-cdn.com
Witness say the shots started ringing out and everybody started running
“Right before it happened, there was some idiot on his trampoline on the left side [of the parade route], and everybody was looking at this fool" when the shooting began, Gretchen Ramke, 30, said.
“Somebody yelled, 'Everybody get down!' -- not the shooter -- and we hit the street, and I got bruised. I think somebody jumped on top of me."
"Me and mom were going to the second line. I told her I didn't want to go because there are always shots at a second line," Shermaine Tyler, 32, said.
nola.com"And the second I heard shots, I heard shots fired, we ran outside and one man fell in my lap who had been shot."
nola.com"All innocent bystanders got hit," Roberts said. "When I got the call saying they were shot, I wasn't thinking at all, I was just shivering and crying... just hoping they be all right.
nola.com"People were just hanging out. We were just chilling. And this happened. Bad things always happen to good people," said Temple, who was at the parade but didn't see the shootings.
“The shots just started ringing out, and everybody just started running, and the next thing I heard, 10-15 people got shot,” one witness told the channel.
FBI says the shooting seemed to be street violence and not terrorism
The FBI said the shooting appeared to be "street violence" and wasn't linked to terrorism. "It's strictly an act of street violence in New Orleans," Mary Beth Romig, FBI spokeswoman.
It is unclear what sparked the shooting in the city's 7th Ward on Sunday afternoon. Police say three suspects were seen fleeing the area.
“We had a full complement of police officers. It appears that these 2 or 3 people just for a reason unknown to us, started shooting at towards, or in the crowd. It was over in just a couple seconds.” New Orleans Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said.
nbcnews.com
A video uploaded to social media after the shooting appeared to capture the sounds of at least two guns, which police confirmed.
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.
nbcnews.com
Officers saw three suspects running away, one described as dark-skinned male aged 18 to 22 with short hair, Serpas said. No arrests were made.
reuters.com
Police vowed to make swift arrests. Serpas said it wasn't clear if particular people in the second line were targeted, or if the shots were fired in a random fashion.
"We'll get them. We have good resources in this neighborhood," Serpas said.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says second lines have recently been targets of violence
“It’s not the second line that did the shooting,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “The cultural events are very important to us, it’s like calling for an end to Mardi Gras because someone takes an opportunity to shoot someone during one of our parades.”
nbcnews.com
"These kinds of incidents will not go unanswered. Somebody knows something. The way to stop this violence is for you all to help," he said.
Sunday's violence comes at a time when the city is struggling to pay for tens of millions of dollars required under a federal consent decree to reform the police department and the city jail.
Second lines have been targets for violence in New Orleans in recent years. In the past, shooters have targeted a specific person in the crowd, which authorities say may have been the case Sunday as well.
nbcnews.com
"When you have a society that parades 40 weekends a year, there’s bound to be a murder that falls on the same day and possibly within the vicinity of the parade," Deborah 'Big Red' Cotton, a local journalist wrote in 2010.
“These are unusual circumstances. We have second lines which occur in the city of New Orleans virtually every weekend at this time of the year,” said Serpas.
nbcnews.com
Second line is a tradition in brass band parades in New Orleans, Louisiana. The "main line" is the main section of the parade, or the members of the actual club with the parading permit as well as the brass band. Those who follow the band just to enjoy the music are called the "second line."