Shooting during Mardi Gras parade leaves 2 dead

WWL-TV, New Orleans

Show Caption Hide Caption Mardi Gras shooting kills one man, injures another One man is dead and another one is in critical condition after a shooting during a Mardi Gras parade.

NEW ORLEANS — A second man has died after a shooting on along a Mardi Gras parade route in uptown Thursday night, in which New Orleans Police made a quick arrest.

The shooting happened before 10 p.m. near the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and Erato Street.

Officers heard multiple gunshots shot ring out while they were working along the parade route, police said.

Police officers found the two victims suffering from gunshots wounds to the body. EMS arrived on the scene quickly and transported both victims to the hospital. A short time later, the 21-year-old victim died from a gunshot to the chest while in surgery.The second victim, a 22 year-old male, died at the hospital Friday morning from a gunshot wound to the neck. Neither man's name has been released. The Coroner's Office will release their identity after performing an autopsy.

Police have identified the suspect in the shooting as 19 year-old John Hicks.

According to police, officers observed a man running from the scene and quickly apprehended him without incident. The suspect was reported to be in police custody being questioned. A weapon was recovered nearby.

The shooting occurred during the Muses parade — the traditional kickoff to the Carnival weekend.

The New Orleans Advocate reports officers stationed nearby responded immediately.

As they rushed to the scene, officers administered CPR to one of the victims. He was taken away by New Orleans EMS around 10:15 p.m.. the Advocate reported.

The parade continued to roll amid the chaos.

Angela Matherne, a resident of Thibodaux, La., was taking in the parade with family when the shooting happened a block away. Matherne told The Associated Press she didn't hear anything "but saw people running in our direction and police in the opposite."

Matherne said the parade kept going so she didn't realize there had been a shooting until later, when she left the parade route.

Police Supt. Michael Harrison called the situation "extremely frustrating" as Mardi Gras draws closer but added that officers were "right there on spot" and did "great work" in catching the suspect.

In 2012, two people were shot in the same area on the day Muses rolled, the Thursday before Mardi Gras.

The city will host several parades daily until Mardi Gras, which is Tuesday.

Contributing: The Associated Press