7 shot at US Mardi Gras parade

An infant and at least five other people were shot along a parade route packed with Mardi Gras revellers, police said. Two suspects were in custody and the victims were recovering.

An infant and at least five other people were shot along a parade route packed with Mardi Gras revellers, police said. Two suspects were in custody and the victims were recovering.

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The shootings happened near the Garden District after the last major parade of the celebration, Rex, had ended. Hundreds of truck floats that follow the parade were passing when gunfire broke out.

“It sounded like a string of fireworks, so I knew it was more than one shooter,” said Toni Labat, 29, a window company manager. She was with her two children, a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl.

“Everybody was petrified. They hit the ground, the floats stopped, everybody on the floats ducked,” Labat said.