Shots Ring Out During Second Line; Three Wounded

NEW ORLEANS — A second line parade intended to show unity and support for the city’s rebuilding was instead marred by violence Sunday when shots rang out, wounding three people as the event drew to a close.

The shooting broke out at least twice between Claiborne Avenue and Broad Street, the end point of a procession that started in front of the Backstreet Cultural Museum on St. Claude Avenue.

Not long after the parade wrapped up Sunday afternoon, police officers patrolling the route heard gunfire. They then found a 34-year-old man with multiple wounds, police spokesman Gary Flot said.

Minutes later, after more shots rang out, officers discovered an 18-year-old woman wounded in the leg. A man, 20, also was shot in the leg, in the same area along Orleans Avenue.

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A crowd of thousands had gathered on Broad for what had been a festive occasion for New Orleanians determined to make their way back from temporary homes in places such as Houston and Atlanta. The Social Aid & Pleasure Club All-Star Second-Line featured clubs marching in support of New Orleans’ renewal and their own role in the city’s future.

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