CHICAGO: A manhunt for the gunmen who opened fire at a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans where 20 people were shot has ended with the arrest of the main suspect, police said Thursday.
Sunday's shooting at a crowded parade filled with families shocked the Big Easy, which is struggling to overcome what mayor Mitch Landrieu described as "the relentless drumbeat of violence" on its streets.
Most of the victims escaped with non-life threatening injuries after they were grazed by the bullets sprayed into the crowd, but two 10-year-old children were among those shot.
Akein Scott, 19, was booked into custody at about 3 am Thursday on 20 counts of attempted murder.
The New Orleans police could not confirm reports that he is a gang member.
"This is an ongoing investigation. We don't know what his affiliation is," spokesman Frank Robertson told AFP.
Police believe that at least two guns were used in the shooting and officers who were marching with the parade saw three suspects running away after the shooting. However, Scott's photo was the only one released to the media.
Scott was out of jail on a $15,000 bond at the time of the shooting after pleading not guilty to charges of illegally carrying a weapon last month. He had also been charged with resisting arrest and heroin possession, according to the Orleans parish sheriff's department.
He had previously been arrested last year for possession of a stolen weapon, but the charges appear to have been dropped.
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