Clinton, Los Angeles– A 6-year-old boy and four other people were injured when gunfire erupted during a small-town parade in Louisiana on Saturday, sending people running for cover, authorities said.
East Feliciana Parish Mayor Jeff Travis told reporters that the shooting happened shortly after the midday start of the Mardi Gras Festival at the Country Parade in Clinton, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Baton Rouge.
He said investigators were trying to piece together what happened, why and who was responsible, but those answers were not immediately clear even with additional law enforcement on hand at the time to assist with the parade. Three people in the area who were carrying firearms were taken into custody, but it was not clear if they were involved in the shooting, Travis said.
Gov. Jeff Landry responded to the shooting in a post on the social platform X, calling it “absolutely horrific and unacceptable” and urging people to pray for the victims.
Details about them and their circumstances were not immediately revealed. But Deputy Chief Criminal Bill Cox of the Sheriff’s Office said so Lawyer That everyone was expected to survive.
The Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with photos or videos of the shooting or surrounding areas to share them with investigators.