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At Least 10 People Shot Near New Orleans' French Quarter

Updated at 2:17 p.m. ET

Ten people were shot on Canal Street near New Orleans' French Quarter early Sunday morning, according to police. NPR affiliate WWNO reports that shooting victims were taken to University Medical Center New Orleans and Tulane hospital and that two victims are in critical condition.

Police say the shooting occurred at approximately 3:21 a.m. local time. The police department tweeted Sunday afternoon that there were 10 victims in the incident, correcting a previous police statement that said 11 people were injured.

"We do not know how it started," New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson told reporters at the scene early Sunday morning. Ferguson said officers were "right there" on the same block as the shooting when they heard it begin.

Ferguson said police had detained an individual but had not determined whether that individual had any involvement in the shooting. According to New Orleans police, the Louisiana State Police and federal officers are involved in assisting with an investigation. No arrests have been made, and no further information has been released about the identities of the victims.

Saturday was the 46th annual Bayou Classic, which attracts fans of Grambling State University and Southern University football to watch the game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and celebrate in New Orleans' French Quarter.

"The shootings on Canal Street early this morning were an ugly disruption of an otherwise beautiful holiday weekend," New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell wrote in a statement on Twitter. "This tragedy will not define us, and it will not deter us from moving our City forward and keeping our people safe."

In a statement around midday Sunday local time, Ferguson said the investigation was still in the "very beginning stages."

"To the victims — you are in our thoughts and prayers, and we will work tirelessly to bring those behind this cowardly act to justice," the statement said. "That is a promise."

This is a developing story. Some things that get reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Corrected: November 30, 2019 at 11:00 PM CST
In a previous version of this story, we said the shooting occurred in the French Quarter. In fact, the shooting took place on a street bordering the French Quarter.