WASHINGTON: A Fourth of July celebration in north Louisiana turned tragic after a mass shooting left three people dead and at least six other people injured in Shreveport, according to information provided to CNN affiliate KSLA by Shreveport officials.
As per information from police released to KSLA, it was difficult to get to the victims because of large numbers of parked vehicles belonging to the crowds of people attending the festivities.
“Getting here and getting EMS here was a difficult thing. A lot of us had to park our cars and take off running because there were so many cars on the side of the street,” Shreveport police Lt. Van Wray told KSLA, CNN reported.
Shreveport Police Lt. Van Ray says responding officers found two bodies at the scene and a third victim later died at the hospital, reported CBS News.
Shreveport District A Councilwoman Tabatha Taylor told KSLA, the gathering “was a block party that is held every year on the Fourth of July.”
“This should not happen. Now, we are the victims of a mass shooting in our community,” Taylor said. “It is a trauma for those individuals that only wanted to have a very good time on this holiday.”
CNN has reached out to Shreveport police about the shooting but has not received a response.
On Monday, eight people, including two children, were shot in a southwest neighbourhood of Philadelphia, CNN reported citing police.
According to a police spokesperson, a suspect has been taken into custody and a weapon has been recovered.
Police said that the shooting took place on the 5700 block of Warrington Avenue in Philadelphia’s Kingsessing neighbourhood. Six victims were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for treatment while two were taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, police spokesperson Jasmine Reilly said, according to CNN.
Police have not shared details regarding the conditions of those hospitalized. This year, so far, at least 339 mass shootings have taken place in the US, CNN reported citing the Gun Violence archive. (ANI)