Ten people have been shot on Canal Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

A suspect opened fire in the neighborhood known for its nightlife just before 3.30am Sunday.

Two of the victims were hospitalized in critical condition. One had been shot in the chest and the other in the torso.

NOPD Supt Shaun Ferguson confirmed that a person of interest has been detained. He emphasized that it's unclear what involvement, if any, the person of interest had in the shooting.

No arrests have been made as of Sunday afternoon.

Ten people were shot when a suspect opened fire in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the early hours on Sunday morning. Two of the victims were hospitalized in critical condition

A heightened police presence was already in place because of the Bayou Classic rivalry football game between Grambling State University and Southern University on Saturday night

No details are known about what led up to the shooting. An investigation is ongoing as detectives collect witness statements and surveillance footage near the scene

A heightened police presence was already in place in the area because of the Bayou Classic rivalry football game between Grambling State University and Southern University on Saturday night.

Officers said they were just a few feet away from the shooting and initially thought they were being fired at but couldn't tell where the shots were coming from.

No details are known about what led up to the shooting. An investigation is ongoing as detectives collect witness statements and surveillance footage near the scene on the 700 block of Canal Street between Bourbon and Royal streets.

The victim's identities, ages and genders have not been released, but officials said no officers were injured.

Police originally reported 10 victims before increasing the count to 11 and then knocking it back down to 10 early Sunday afternoon. Five were taken to University Hospital and five others were taken to Tulane Hospital.

Officers said they were just a few feet away from the shooting and initially thought they were being fired at but couldn't tell where the shots were coming from

An investigator pics up what appears to be a bloodied piece of clothing hours after the shooting unfolded on Canal Street between Bourbon and Royal streets

The shooting took place at the edge of the French Quarter in an area popular with tourists

One witness, Kenneth Culbreth, described the scene to NOLA.com.

Culbreth said he was leaving a CVS pharmacy on Canal Street when he heard the shots ring out.

'I heard pops. It was so many, I couldn't keep count,' he said.

An employee at the CVS rushed to control the chaos that erupted after the shooting.

'I heard three rounds, and people started running,' the unnamed employee said.

Authorities have asked anyone with information about this incident to contact the NOPD at 504-658-6080 or to call anonymously to Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.

A reward of up to $5,000 has been offered for tips that lead to an arrest.

Sunday's mass shooting was the second in three years to occur on the weekend of the Bayou Classic.

In 2016, two men got into an argument that escalated into a shootout, injuring nine people and killing 25-year-old Baton Rouge tattoo artist Demontris Toliver.

Hours after the Canal Street incident, another shooting was reported in the city's Seventh Ward on Sunday afternoon.

Police said four people were shot and two were killed when gunfire erupted just before 1pm.