A burst of gunfire wounded multiple people, including a 6-year-old child, shortly after a Mardi Gras parade stepped off Saturday in this East Feliciana Parish town, authorities said. The violence near the parish courthouse halted the event and sparked a chaotic rush to safety as first responders moved in and officers secured the route.
Officials said the shooting unfolded just after the midday start of the “Mardi Gras in the Country” parade, a rural celebration that draws families from around the Baton Rouge area. The East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office said several people were taken to hospitals; preliminary statements indicated five people were wounded, including the child. By Saturday night, authorities said the victims were expected to survive. Louisiana State Police joined the investigation, and deputies detained several people for questioning after locating multiple firearms near the scene. The parade was shut down as detectives canvassed the courthouse square and neighboring blocks for shell casings, surveillance footage and witness accounts.
Witnesses described a festive street that turned tense within seconds. Parents pulled children behind vehicles and storefront pillars as the crowd scattered. “Everybody started running,” Sheriff Jeff Travis said in a brief update, noting the gunfire began not far from the courthouse steps as floats and riders were still gathering speed along the route. He said deputies quickly treated the injured while others pushed the crowd back and locked down the area. Gov. Jeff Landry called the shooting “horrific and unacceptable” and said the state would support local authorities. Clinton, a town of about 1,300 roughly 30 miles north of Baton Rouge, had billed the day’s parade as its twenty-first annual community celebration.
Investigators said early information suggested more than one weapon may have been present at the scene. Deputies detained three people who were found with guns in the immediate area and turned them over to detectives for interviews. Authorities did not immediately say whether any of the detainees fired shots or whether the weapons recovered matched shell casings found along the route. Officials also did not provide makes or calibers of the guns or estimate the number of rounds fired, citing the ongoing case. The youngest victim, a 6-year-old, was among those transported from Clinton for treatment; details about ages and conditions of the other victims were not released beyond the expectation that they would survive. The sheriff’s office asked anyone with photos or videos from the parade to share them with investigators.
Clinton’s parade is a long-running local event that threads past the East Feliciana Parish Courthouse and through a downtown grid of brick storefronts and churches. It’s a family-heavy stop on the calendar ahead of the larger metropolitan parades in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. In recent years, Louisiana law enforcement agencies have placed additional patrols along parade routes, setting up staging areas for ambulances and creating buffer zones at intersections. Saturday’s plan followed that approach, authorities said, which helped speed treatment when the shots rang out. While mass casualty shootings remain relatively rare at Mardi Gras events, several Louisiana communities have experienced isolated gunfire near festivities over the past decade, prompting recurring discussions about crowd screening and post-parade gatherings.
After the first 911 calls, patrol units and medics converged on the courthouse square. Deputies moved spectators off the route and set up a perimeter from the courthouse steps to the nearest cross streets. Emergency crews treated the wounded in a triage cluster before ambulances ferried patients to Baton Rouge hospitals. Detectives marked spent casings, photographed the street and collected video from downtown businesses. Louisiana State Police crime scene personnel arrived to assist with ballistic work and trajectory mapping. The sheriff’s office said investigators were still piecing together a timeline, including where the first shots originated and whether a dispute preceded the gunfire. Officials did not immediately release the total number of victims by age or gender, and they declined to say whether any suspects remained at large after the initial detentions.
Law enforcement leaders said they would confer with prosecutors once they complete interviews and review physical evidence. Any arrest warrants or formal charges would come after investigators determine who fired and which rounds struck each victim. Detectives planned to re-interview key witnesses and compare smartphone video angles to establish the sequence of events, including the possibility of multiple shooters or crossfire. Officials said they would also examine whether alcohol was a factor in any altercation and whether any firearms were illegally possessed. If charges are filed, first court appearances would likely be set in East Feliciana Parish in the coming days. Authorities said they would release names of suspects only after arrests are made and identities are confirmed.
Residents spent the afternoon retrieving vehicles and belongings left behind during the scramble. A handful of parade participants returned to collect floats and trailers as deputies stood guard near the courthouse. “We bring our kids here every year,” said a Clinton shop owner who watched from a doorway as the crowd fled. “You never expect to see people fall and hear screaming on this street.” Another witness described lifting a child into the back of a pickup to shield him as the driver pulled away. Hospital officials in Baton Rouge reported receiving multiple patients from the scene. Pastors and community leaders said they were organizing visits and support for families affected by the shooting.
As of Sunday, Feb. 1, investigators had not announced arrests linked directly to the gunfire or specified a motive. The sheriff’s office said additional updates would follow once detectives finish preliminary interviews and review lab findings from the recovered weapons and casings. Authorities plan to release a summarized incident report and any charging decisions when available, and they asked residents who recorded the parade to preserve their footage for investigators.
Author note: Last updated February 1, 2026.