10 injured in New Orleans shooting

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans police are investigating a mass shooting that wounded 10 people early Sunday near the city’s famed French Quarter.

Two of the 10 were in critical condition in local hospitals, Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. No arrests have been made.

“What happened in our city overnight was a cowardly and senseless act that we cannot and will not tolerate,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said a person of interest has been detained, but it’s not clear that the person was connected to the shooting.

The shooting happened about 3:20 a.m. on Canal Street.

Ferguson said police quickly responded since patrols were heightened for this weekend’s Bayou Classic, the annual Thanksgiving weekend rivalry football game between Grambling State and Southern University at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

“While this investigation is in the very beginning stages, one thing is certain — we will not stop until we identify and arrest those responsible,” Ferguson said in his statement.

New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell also pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“The shootings on Canal Street early this morning were an ugly disruption of an otherwise beautiful holiday weekend. We will do everything we can to wrap the victims and their families in our love and support, and to bring the criminals responsible to justice,” she said via Twitter on Sunday.

Kenneth Culbreth said he had gone into a CVS pharmacy in the early morning hours to make a quick purchase. Moments later, he walked out to a crime scene.