6 People, Including a Child, Shot During Mardi Gras Parade: 'Everybody Started Running' By Toria Sheffield

Six people, including a child, were shot at a Mardi Gras parade in rural Louisiana.

The incident occurred on Saturday, Jan. 31, in the small town of Clinton in front of the East Feliciana Parish Courthouse, per WBRZ 2, WAFB 9 and the New York Post.

The shooting has left a child and one adult in critical condition, per WBRZ 2 and the Post.

In a statement to WAFB 9, East Feliciana Parish Sheriff Jeff Travis said the shooting broke out shortly after the parade began, and the festivities were then immediately shut down.

The East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

“Everybody started running,” said a witness while speaking to WBRZ 2. “This does not happen often in this particular area.”

It is currently unclear whether anyone has been arrested in connection with the incident. 

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The celebration was part of a Mardi Gras in the Country parade, or Courir de Mardi Gras, which is a unique rural Mardi Gras celebration that typically features costumed participants traveling by horseback, wagons or trucks.

Mardi Gras celebrations in Louisiana typically begin in early January and intensify in the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, which takes place on Feb. 17 this year.