Two men are in a hospital after a shooting that happened at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church's Tet Festival. New Orleans police say they've arrested two suspects in connection with the case.
That shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the church's campus on Dwyer Boulevard. In a Facebook post, church leaders confirmed the shooting happened there.
"By now, everyone must have heard about the incident that took place at our Tet fair this evening," the church's Facebook post read. "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."
According to New Orleans police, the two suspects and one of the victims got into a fight, during which one of the suspects, Timothy Nguyen pulled a gun and shot the two victims. Officers arrested Nguyen, 19, and the second suspect, Christopher Nguyen, 25, on two counts each of aggravated second-degree battery. Authorities did not say if the Nguyens are related.
The victims remain in the hospital with torso wounds. Police did not disclose their conditions.
Mary Queen of Vietnam Church leaders say their Tet Festival will continue on Sunday with enhanced security.
"We want to assure everyone that we continue to have safety as our top priority and will continue to do so for (Sunday) as well," the church's Facebook post read. "Safety is our top priority at MQVN and we want to assure everyone that we take this very seriously. These precautions include additional officers, checking all bags 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."
If you know anything about this shooting, call the NOPD at 504-658-5300 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.