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Three people were shot on the campus of Xavier University in New Orleans on Tuesday (May 31) following a high school graduation ceremony, local officials reported.
One of the gunshot victims, an elderly woman, has died New Orleans Police Chief Deputy Superintendent Christopher Goodly said during a news conference.
The Louisiana HBCU was hosting the graduation ceremony of Morris Jeff Community School when the gunfire broke out. Police say the shooting began around 11:45 a.m. and that officers with the New Orleans Police Department working security at the event responded to reports of shots fired in the parking lot of the University's Convocation Center.
Officers responding to the scene found three gunshot victims, two men and one woman, who were all taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The woman died at the hospital, an NOPD news release said.
"There was a fight that broke out between apparently two females," Goodly said. "Subsequent to this fight, subjects produced weapons, and shots were shot."
Multiple people were detained at the scene for questioning. A motive is still being determined, police said. No arrests have been made.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell spoke at the graduation but left before the shooting started.
"What should have been a celebration that highlights the hard-working students and their families regrettably transformed into another senseless act of gun violence," Cantrell wrote in a statement.
"Gun violence continues to plague our city, and we will remain laser-focused on leveraging local and federal partnerships to prioritize initiatives that address prevention strategies," Cantrell continued, adding later, "gun violence is a disease."
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