Police are searching for two suspected murderers after a shooting in New Orleans left three dead and another seven injured.

Authorities say the suspects were wearing hooded tops when they fired a long rifle and a handgun into a crowd outside a business about three miles from the city’s popular French Quarter.

The shooting sparked a manhunt in the city, with police asking anyone with knowledge of the incident to come forward with information.

Police Chief Michael Harrison asked residents to trust police and bring information forward about the shooting that he described as “indiscriminately” carried out.

He said: “This is an extremely tragic incident."

The shooting left two men and one woman dead. Five men and two women were also injured, and taken to area hospitals for medical care.

One individual was reportedly in critical condition Sunday morning.

“This was a large crowd and we know that people saw something, heard something,“ Mr Harrison said. ”We need them to know that they can trust us and come to us”.

New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell said police would be given every resource necessary to find those responsible.

“There is no place in New Orleans for this kind of violence. I speak for everyone in our city when I say we are disgusted, we are infuriated, and we have had more than enough,“ Ms Cantrell said in a statement.