Suspect Named In New Orleans Parade Shooting

New Orleans authorities have identified a possible suspect in the mass shooting that occurred during a Mother’s Day parade Sunday afternoon.

Investigators believe 19-year-old Akein Scott may be responsible for the shots that rang out just after 2 pm, injuring 19 people out of the near 400 who attended. The victims were marching in a second line parade, those who traditionally follow the band.

Casualties included two 10-year-old children, a boy and a girl, 10 adult men, and seven adult women. Although serious wounds resulted from the gunfire, no deaths have been reported.

It’s too early to say if he was the only shooter involved, but evidence reflects at least two firearms were used in the assault.

The grainy surveillance footage, released alongside a possible reward of $10,000 for information leading to a suspect, was recorded on North Villere Street in the 7th Ward neighborhood and shows a young man police consider the potential suspect appearing to open fire on a cluster of people gathered for the Mother’s Day parade.

An adult black male, believed to be Scott, donned in dark pants and a white shirt, can be seen charging the crowd with raised hands, sending parade-goers scrambling in all directions of the surveillance camera’s frame.

Witnesses were able to positively ID Scott as one of the shooters involved.

Warrants were executed at three locations Monday evening, yet the teenager remains at large. New Orleans Superintendent Ronal Serpas reinforced during a press conference, “We will be looking for Akein Scott for the rest of the night and tomorrow until we find him, and I would strongly recommend that Akein turn himself in.”

The young man has a previous record of arrests. Offenses include resisting arrest, illegally carrying weapons, possession of a stolen firearm, and heroin possession. He was indicted on April 22 for the carrying a weapon charge from 2012 and is due back in court on Thursday.

[Image Akein Scott NOPD Photo]