Violence Mars Fat Tuesday in New Orleans

WDSU, the New Orleans NBC affiliate, reported that this year's Mardi Gras celebration was one of the most dangerous in history. Fat Tuesday drew to a close with 13 shootings, including one homicide.

The Washington Post gave details of the first shooting which occurred around 1:45 p.m. The last major parade of the celebration was ending when Mark Brooks, 19, and Louis Lazone, 18, opened fire on each other along the parade route. Seven people, including a 13-month-old and a 15-year-old, were struck in the crossfire. The baby was grazed and suffered no major injuries. The two most seriously injured were shot in the stomach and underwent surgery. Both shooters were arrested on seven counts of attempted first-degree murder.

That incident was the beginning of several shootings: A man was shot in the hip, a woman was shot in the side, and a man was shot in the back in separate events. Around 9:40 p.m., a 33-year-old man was shot several times and died later at a hospital. In all, 13 shooting victims were reported across the city in less than 24 hours.

Despite the violence, city officials were able to call this year's Mardi Gras a success. Tourism experts said it was the largest Mardi Gras in recent history. Kelly Schulz of the Convention and Visitors Bureau called the event "recession proof" with an economic impact worth millions. She went on to compliment the police presence, saying, "The New Orleans Police Department did an outstanding job responding very quickly to making arrests on the scene.

Warren Riley, the New Orleans Police Superintendent, also had high praise for the police: "Just a great police presence. Two of the officers actually saw the incident and chased the suspects down, and we're very proud of those officers."

There were 50 more arrests this year compared to last, indicating a larger turnout and a return to pre-Katrina celebrations. Tourism experts predicted next year's event to be even larger.

Police asked anyone with information on the 13 shootings to call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111.