Smarterlam / CC
Two people are killed and 11 others are hurt in a pair of shootings during a second line parade Sunday afternoon in the St. Roch area of New Orleans.
“We had two different incidents,” New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick told a news conference Monday morning. “There were two shootings 45 minutes apart from one another.”
The Nine Times Social Aid and Pleasure Club second line parade was allowed to continue after the first shooting since no one in the initial shooting was killed.
The two people who were killed were both shot in the second wave of violence.
Kirkpatrick says the people responsible for the shootings are still on the loose, and police are actively searching for them.
City Councilman Eugene Green says second lines are an important part of New Orleans culture.
“I want to say to the public that I don’t want to generalize relative to second lines,” Green said. “Second lines are a very important part of our culture, and they are mostly safe.”
As such, Commissioner Kirkpatrick said everything must be done to ensure the safety of everyone taking part.”We have got to work together with the community to prevent any potential for violence in our second lines,” said Kirkpatrick.
The two murders bring to 119 the total number of murders in New Orleans this year, which Kirkpatrick says is considerably down compared to recent years.
“Two years ago today, we were at 238 murders,” Kirkpatrick pointed out. “Just last year, as of this period of time, we had 192.”
At this time, Kirkpatrick says it’s unclear whether the two shootings are related to one another.
The shooter or shooters are still on the loose, and Councilman Green had a warning for that person or those people.
“And just recognize that we must do everything that we can to make the full weight of the criminal justice system come down on the individual or individuals who have been found to have committed this crime,” Green said.
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