Two people were wounded, and two others were arrested following a shooting that reportedly occurred at a New Orleans festival. NOLA.com reports that the incident occurred at the Tet Festival in New Orleans East on Feb. 1. A Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy was flagged down just before 9:30 p.m. at the 14000 block of Dwyer Boulevard. The deputy discovered two victims with gunshot wounds to the torso.
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Both victims were transported to a nearby hospital.
Law enforcement sources further revealed that one of the victims was involved in a fight with two men. They were identified as Christopher and Timothy Nguyen. Amid the fight, Timothy took out a gun and fired, hitting both of the victims.
Both Christopher and Timothy were arrested not long after the shooting. They were charged with two counts of aggravated second-degree battery.
Organizers of the New Orleans Festival Speak Out About the Shooting
New Orleans’ Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, which was hosting the festival, took to Facebook to address the shooting.
“By now, everyone must have heard about the incident that took place at our Tet fair this evening,” the post reads. “We are deeply saddened by what had transpired. We have celebrated our Tet fair at MQVN for over 40 years and this event is a way for us to showcase our community and culture in New Orleans.”
The church also reassured festival attendees that safety is the top priority.
“Safety is our top priority at MQVN, and we want to assure everyone that we take this very seriously,” the church added. “These precautions include additional officers, checking all bags at the entrance, and using a hand-held metal detector for each attendee. We are working with the NOPD to make sure that our last day for our Tet fair will continue on with extra precautions to make everyone feel safe.