A shooting that took place in New Orleans on Sunday, February 19th, during the customary Krewe of Bacchus parade left 4 people injured and one person dead. Four of the five victims—a 4-year-old girl, an 18-year-old boy, a 22-year-old woman, and a 24-year-old man—have been discharged from the hospital. The fatally shot victim, a currently unidentified boy due to police struggling to identify him, between 15-18 years old, died from his injuries at the hospital soon after being admitted.

The shooting occurred around 9.30 p.m., local time, “just steps” away from spectators who had gathered to watch the Carnival Krewe of Bacchus’ yearly parade, which rolls every year on the Sunday before Mardi Gras. As gunshots were heard, the path was crowded with families with young children taking in the parade, witnesses told the police. As individuals fled, sought safety, and attempted to defend themselves and their children, chaos resulted.

Police announced that they had detained Mansour Mbodj, 21, as a suspect in the shooting. “We were quickly able to apprehend the suspect we believe responsible for this,” Chief Deputy of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Department Hans Ganthier said on scene.

Officers detained the suspect and found two guns at the scene. They added, “We will determine whether he is the sole shooter or not through investigation.” As people scurried to escape the gunshots, one witness told a New Orleans television station, WWL-TV, that he heard at least a dozen rounds ring out. The witness claimed that police had interfered in a number of altercations in this vicinity prior to the shooting. Following the incident, the mega krewe of Bacchus, which are large, spectacular floats rode by celebrities, were momentarily put on hold on the 1500 block of St. Charles Avenue. The march would resume after it “got out of the way” of the crime scene, according to an officer.

New Orleans has seen gun violence at or near Mardi Gras festivities in prior years and this year is no different. Longtime resident Kristie Bowerman, 49, said Sunday night marked the third time she has witnessed a shooting at a Mardi Gras parade. She described the scene as “mass chaos.” Even with the tragedy that ensued, the tradition continued, luckily without further injuries.

As of Sunday, the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that tracks gun violence, has counted 78 mass shootings in the United States in 2023 and this event is just another addition to the statistic.