Police release footage of the horrific moment Mother's Day Parade shooter opened fire in broad daylight and injured 19 people - including two young children
- Shots were fired into the crowd just after 2pm on Sunday afternoon
- Two children, a boy and girl - both ten - were among the casualties
- Police hope that members of the public will recognize the shooter
By Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press
|
New Orleans police have released surveillance footage showing the horrific moment a suspected gunman opened fire on a Mother's Day parade, in an attack that left 19 people wounded.
The grainy footage shows a crowd suddenly scattering in
all directions, with some falling to the ground, in a scene of confusion and chaos.
They appear to be running from a man, who is wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants, who turns and runs out of the picture. The image isn't clear but police say they hope someone will recognize him and notify investigators.
Scroll down for video
Before the chaos: Police released footage of a suspected shooter who opened fire in New Orleans Sunday
Moment of attack: The man, circled, is seen running to the crowd and apparently opening fire
Horror: Police have released footage of a man opening fire on a neighborhood parade on Sunday
Do you know him? The footage is grainy but police are asking for any information on who he could be
The shooting - described by the FBI as a flare-up of street violence - 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 comfort them.
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.
The victims included 10 men, seven women, a boy and a girl. The children, both 10-years-old, were grazed and in good condition.
Injured: Bystanders comfort a shooting victim while awaiting EMS at the intersection of Frenchmen and N. Villere Streets after authorities say gunfire injured at least a dozen people
Grief: A grief stricken woman cries after a relative is shot. The shooting was described by the FBI as a flare-up of street violence
The neighborhood where the shooting happened was a mix of low-income and middle-class row houses, some boarded up
Citizens attempt to comfort a woman who was shot during a mothers day parade in New Orleans after 18 people were shot
Police vowed to solve Sunday's shooting but said it was not initially clear if particular people in the parade were targeted, or if the shots were fired at random.
'We'll get them,' Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said. 'We have good resources in this neighborhood.'
Mayor Mitch Landrieu urged witnesses to come forward with information during a news conference Sunday night at a hospital where gunshot victims were taken.
'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.
Mary Beth Romig, a spokeswoman for the
FBI in New Orleans, said federal investigators have no indication that
the shooting was an act of terrorism.
Drama: This image from a mobile phone shows the immediate aftermath of the shooting as chaos unfolded
Commotion: This image shows the moment police arrived on the scene. One officer described it as 'simply an act of street violence'
'It's strictly an act of street violence in New Orleans,' she said.
As many as 400 people came out for the second-line procession - a boisterous New Orleans tradition - though only half that many were in the immediate vicinity of the shooting, said Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas.
Officers were interspersed with the marchers, which is routine for such events.
Police saw three suspects running from the scene. No arrests had been made as of early evening.
One suspect was videoing the parade and captured some of the chaos as he fell to the ground when the shooting started.
Investigation: New Orleans Police comb for clues at the intersection Frenchman Street at N. Villere on Mother's Day in New Orleans
No suspects were in custody and police are still looking for leads in connection with the shooting, which took place around 2pm. Police believe there was more than one shooter
New Orleans Police Department Supt. Ronal Serpas said: 'Maybe two different types of weapons. Immediately after the shots were fired, our officers saw three people running away on Frenchmen toward Claiborne
New Orleans police officer collects evidence at the scene of a shooting at the intersection Frenchman Street at N. Villere
Outside the hospital on Sunday night, Leonard Temple became teary as he talked about a friend who was in surgery after being shot three times during the parade. Temple was told the man was hit while trying to push his own daughter out of the way.
'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.
In the late afternoon, the scene was taped off and police had placed bullet casing markers in at least 10 spots.
Second-line parades are loose processions in which people dance down the street, often following behind a brass band.
Clues: Police mark the scene as they investigate what exactly happened. The motive for the shooting is yet unclear
Crossfire: Blood stains the pavement where a victim fell, left, and a bystander caught in the crossfire sits nursing a wound to his leg
They can be planned events or impromptu offshoots of other celebrations. They trace their origins to the city's famous jazz funerals.
A social club called The Original Big 7 organized Sunday's event. The group was founded in 1996 at the Saint Bernard housing projects, according to its MySpace page.
The neighborhood where the shooting happened is a mix of low-income and middle-class row houses, some boarded up.
As of last year, the 7th Ward's population was about 60 per cent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina level.
The crime scene was about 1.5 miles from the heart of the French Quarter and near the Treme neighborhood, which has been the centerpiece for the HBO TV series 'Treme.'
Tough area: The neighborhood where the shooting happened is a mix of low-income and middle-class row houses, some boarded up
In the late afternoon, the scene was taped off and police had placed bullet casing markers in at least 10 spots
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.
Shootings at parades and neighborhood
celebrations have become more common in recent years as the city has
struggled with street crime.
Earlier this year, four people were shot following an argument in the French Quarter during the last weekend of partying before Mardi Gras. The victims survived, and several suspects were eventually arrested.
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 at random.
'We'll get them. We have good resources in this neighborhood,' Serpas said.
-
FBI surrounds house of Saudi student after sightings of him...
-
Inside the Paris apartment untouched for 70 years: Treasure...
-
Kate's Coronation baby: Duchess's due date revealed as...
-
'I will always love youuuuuuuuu': Woman kicked off plane for...
-
Gambler won £7.8m by 'reading' the back of cards: How tiny...
-
Ariel Castro's brothers reveal they saw him at McDonald's...
-
Police release footage of the horrific moment Mother's Day...
-
Are these the worst subway passengers of all time? Bloggers...
-
Body of missing 18-month-old girl found on Kansas farm
-
Officer is reunited with suicidal man he talked down from...
-
The moment Amanda Berry escaped: Chilling video shows kidnap...
-
The ultimate sun block! Startling photos of beachgoers...
What a coward. Only strong with a gun in his hand.
- JmP , My Own, 13/5/2013 17:31
Report abuse