New Orleans’ popular Bayou Classic Weekend ended in bloodshed early Sunday morning, when ten people were shot, one fatally, in the city’s historic French Quarter, police say.
Speaking at a press conference, police Superintendent Michael Harrison said that police responded to a call at around 1:30 a.m. local time, after reports of gunshots at the crowded intersection of Bourbon and Iberville streets, just minutes away from the Superdome, where a college football game was held earlier in the day.
The AP is reporting that two of the people shot were women, while eight were men, including the person who died at an area hospital. The victims were as young as 20, and as old as 37.
Police arrested two men at the scene—one of whom was a victim—for possession of firearms. They do not yet have a motive for the shooting.
“This was not the place or time to bring firearms to the Bayou Classic or any event," Harrison added. "This is not the place where something like this should happen.”
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu also commented on the incident, calling it "unacceptable," USA Today reports.
"It really is heartbreaking, especially on a night like this," he said. "It was a beautiful game. Everyone was working really well with each other throughout the whole city. It's just a tragic end to what was otherwise a beautiful weekend."
