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    • Armies in New Orleans Parade: Police are investigating deadly attacks
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    Armies in New Orleans Parade: Police are investigating deadly attacks

    Online Niel Posted on

    Two people were killed and 10 others were wounded in two separate shootings Sunday during a popular Second Line parade in New Orleans, authorities said.

    The New Orleans Police Department said it is investigating two incidents, a shooting and a homicide, that occurred Sunday afternoon near the parade route.. A total of 12 people were injured in the gunfire, including two who were pronounced dead, according to police.

    “There are two different scenes here,” New Orleans Police Commissioner Anne Kirkpatrick said at a news conference Sunday night. “There are two different shooting events. They are 45 minutes apart.”

    Police said the first incident occurred around 3:40 p.m. local time during a second-line event in the St. Roch of the city, northeast of the popular French Quarter. Officers reported hearing gunshots and discovered eight victims suffering from gunshot wounds.

    All eight victims were transported to a local hospital, and another victim later arrived at the hospital, according to police. Kirkpatrick said a preliminary investigation revealed a vehicle and two guns were involved, and shots were fired into a crowd.

    About 45 minutes later, officers responded to a separate report of gunfire at an intersection and located two victims at the scene, according to police. Emergency personnel pronounced one victim dead at the scene, while the second victim was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

    Police said a third victim was allegedly involved in the incident, but was privately transported to a hospital and listed in stable condition.

    Police “immediately stopped the second-line event” as part of the investigation, according to the New Orleans Police Department. Kirkpatrick said it’s currently unclear if the two incidents were related because they happened 45 minutes apart.

    Police had not released any suspect information and no arrests had been announced as of Sunday evening.

    New Orleans police have “history” with second line parade

    Kirkpatrick said the New Orleans Police Department has “history here with this particular second line.” In 2013, 19 people were injured and one was trampled after gunfire broke out during an informal Second Line parade on Mother’s Day.

    “This second line is one of the absolute biggest lines we have in the city. It draws thousands of people,” Kirkpatrick said. “It’s a wonderful event, there’s no doubt about it.”

    About 100 officers were assigned to the event, according to Kirkpatrick, who noted that the department assigned additional officers “knowing (the event) had a potential for violence.”

    According to the Second Lines website, second lines are cultural parades organized by the Social, Aid and Pleasure Clubs of New Orleans. The first line is the main section of the parade and the marching band, while the second line is “people who follow the marching band to enjoy the music and dancing,” according to the website.

    “Second Lining is a dance form where participants dance and walk along the SAPC in an African, free-form style. Second Lining is one of the most African retention cultures in the United States,” according to the site.

    (This story has been updated to add new information.)

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