Cops: Children among wounded in NOLA playground shooting
NEW ORLEANS -- Officials in New Orleans are calling on people in the community to come forward with information on a playground shootout that ended with 17 people wounded.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu, speaking to a press conference Monday, said given the number of people who were at the park Sunday evening where the shooting happened that it is "pretty clear that people know who they are."
Police said eleven of the victims were under the age of 21, and the youngest victim was 10. Most have been discharged from the hospital but Landrieu said one will likely never walk again.
Police are still searching for the gunmen who opened fire in the park where hundreds had gathered for a block party and music video filming. New Orleans police chief Michael Harrison said Monday that two groups began shooting at each other through the crowd. Police say there was more than one shooter, but they aren't sure how many.
Officials said the shooting is likely gang-related. Dozens of of bullet casings were discovered at the scene, and officials say they believe the shooters used automatic weapons.
"This is absolutely senseless," Harrison said of the violent incident. "We're not going to stand for it now--we're never going to stand for it."
Officials described the event Monday that drew 300-500 as "unplanned and unpermitted" and said officers were already en route to break up the gathering when they got a report of shots fired. The crowd was apparently drawn by notifications on social media.
According to CBS affiliate WWLTV, the injured include:
- 14-year-old girl shot in leg
- 16-year-old girl with graze wound to backside
- 17-year-old girl with graze wound to leg
- 19-year-old woman shot to left heel
- 21-year-old woman with three shots to her lower back
- 21-year-old woman shot to the backside
- 21-year-old woman shot in the thigh
- 22-year-old woman graze wound to the thigh
- 29-year-old woman shot to the foot
- 10-year-old boy shot to the thigh
- 20-year-old man graze wound to foot, shot in leg
- 21-year-old man graze wound to left hand
- 22-year-old man shot to the groin
- 29-year-old man shot to the arm -
- 37-year-old man graze wound to back of the head
The mayor has called a community gathering for 5 p.m. Monday at the park.