Mansour Mbodj: Man, 21, arrested after gun rampage at Bacchus parade in New Orleans leaves 1 dead
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: Police identified the alleged shooter who killed a teen and injured four others during a tragic parade in New Orleans. The gunman who opened fire on Sunday night during a Mardi Gras party sent revelers fleeing for their lives.
Mansour Mbodj, 21 was taken into custody by NOPD shortly after the incident that took place in the 1600 block of Terpsichore Street. NOPD Chief Deputy Hans Ganthier stated authorities "were quickly able to apprehend the suspect we believe responsible for this," reports WWL-TV. Reports say the alleged victim was a male between the ages of 15 and 18 who died in surgery. The man's name has not yet been made public and the other four victims range in age from four to 24.
READ MORE
New Orleans residents horrified as 3 bodies found 'several days' after death in bullet-strewn home
Nine children, one as young as 4, injured in mass shooting at Georgia gas station
What happened at the Bacchus parade?
As the crowd fled in fright after hearing gunshots during the Mardi Gras parade, three men, a little child, and a woman were transported to nearby hospitals by ambulance. Police received a call reporting a gunshot, at about 9.30 pm, reports The Sun. Witness Stacey Morigeau stated, "I thought it sounded like 20 gunshots - it might've been a little bit less but it was rapid-fire and everybody started running."
The parade came to a total halt once police started trying to control the situation. Two guns were found at the scene of the shooting. New Orleans Police are stepping up patrols in the French Quarter in an effort to cut down on gun violence at festivals like parades this season. "This is really not something we wanted to see," Ganthier stated. "We really wanted this to be a safe Mardi Gras."
Mansour Mbodj, previously charged w/illegal carrying of firearm re: Feb. 19 homicide at St. Charles & Terpsichore, rebooked on second-degree murder charge in the ongoing investigation. #NOPDResults #Partnerships https://t.co/QsGG6qitfw
— New Orleans Police Department (@NOPDNews) February 20, 2023
'Rebooked on second-degree murder charge'
Officers from the Louisiana State Police, the Department of Corrections, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Department assisted the NOPD in a quick and timely manner. Mbodj has been placed in the local jail and "rebooked on a second-degree murder charge in the ongoing investigation," said NOPD. The shooting's potential motivation has not yet been made public.
An examination of data from the New Orleans Police Department and the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office shows that 12 murders have been reported in New Orleans so far this year, compared to seven at this point in 2022, as per Nola. There have been 33 killings in New Orleans as of February 20. It is 3 per cent lower than it was at the same time in 2022. New Orleans had a violent year last year with 265 murders. The highest murder rate ever was reported to have occurred in 1994, when 424 persons according to New Orleans police were killed. They generally involve a weapon, including a gun, or knife.