NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Sunny skies and unusually warm weather fueled the street party fervor in New Orleans as the city celebrated Mardi Gras — Fat Tuesday — the annual, ebullient climax of Carnival season, marked by shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on raucous Bourbon Street and thousand lining St. Charles Avenue for family-friendly parades.
Celebrations began before dawn in some parts of the city. TV crews captured images of The North Side Skull and Bones Gang — skeleton-costumed revelers — spreading out through the Tremé area to awaken people for Mardi Gras. As the sun rose, parade watchers were already claiming spots along the parade route. Barbecue smells wafted through the Central Business District.
Revelers were undeterred by violence that marred a glitzy weekend parade. Gunfire that broke out during a parade Sunday night left a teenager dead and four others injured, including a 4-year-old girl. Police quickly arrested Mansour Mbodj, 21, for illegally carrying a weapon, then upgraded the charge to second-degree murder.
Officials stressed Monday that the shooting was an isolated event.
“It’s discouraging, but it’s not going to stop me from coming,” said Roz Walker, 55. She and her friend Tracy Dunbar are Baton Rouge residents who were among the crowd awaiting the parades of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club and the Rex Organization. They have been visiting New Orleans on Mardi Gras for decades.