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Ten injured in shooting in New Orleans' French Quarter

By Allen Cone

Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Ten people were injured, including two critically, in a shooting early Sunday on the edge of New Orleans' French Quarter, police said.

The gunfire broke out on Canal Street just before 3:30 a.m., NOLA.com reported. The area is near Bourbon Street, which is popular for tourists.

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The injured were taken to University Medical Center and Tulane Hospital. At one time police said 11 were injured.

A person has been taken into custody but has not been arrested Sunday, New Orleans Police Department Supt. Shaun Ferguson said. He said the motive is unclear and was urging anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact the department.

"What happened in our city overnight was a cowardly and senseless act that we cannot and will note tolerate, Ferguson said in a statement. "For a fourth straight year, New Orleans continues to see significant reductions in violent crimes. ... We will not let the acts of the few deter us. While this investigation is in the very early stages, one thing is certain -- we will not stop until we identify and arrest those responsible."

The area's police presence had been heavy because of the Bayou Classic. The events included Southern's 30-28 football victory over Grambling at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Saturday night.

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"We had officers on that very block that thought they were being fired upon," Ferguson told reporters. "Unfortunately, there were so many people out here we were unable to determine who was actually firing shots at the time."

No officers were injured, Ferguson said.

"I applaud our public safety team for their instant and efficient response -- particularly our NOPD officers who were on the scene within seconds," Mayor LaToya Cantrell posted on Twitter.

Kenneth Culbreth told NOLA.com: "On my way out of the CVS, I heard pops. It was so many, I couldn't keep count."

An unidentified employee said he "heard three rounds, and people started running."

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