UPDATE 1 -- 9 injured in gun battle on Bourbon Street in New Orleans

USPA News - Two unidentified gunmen exchanged gunfire on the famed Bourbon Street in New Orleans on early Sunday morning, injuring nine bystanders in the heart of the city`s nightlife, police said. It was not immediately known what led up to the shooting.

The incident occurred at about 2:45 a.m. local time in the 700 block of Bourbon Street, which is well-known for its annual Mardi Gras celebration and is the center of the area`s nightlife with jazz clubs, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. The 13-block street is located in the French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans. Frank Robertson, a spokesman for the New Orleans Police Department, said investigators believe at least two suspects exchanged gunfire, wounding bystanders in the crowd, before fleeing the scene. Three police officers who were patrolling Bourbon Street at the time of the shooting were at the scene within seconds but were unable to apprehend the suspects. Seven people were initially reported injured in the shooting, but authorities later raised to nine the total number of victims taken to ILH Interim LSU Hospital. "Seven are in stable condition, one female is in critical condition and another victim`s condition is unknown at this time," Robertson said. It was not immediately clear what led up to the shooting or what may have been the motive. One witness, who was nearby but asked not to be identified, said she saw at least one gunman who appeared to target one person specifically before firing into a crowd and striking bystanders. "These are two cowardly young men who chose to settle a dispute with total disregard for human life," said Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas. "Our officers are working around the clock to identify and arrest the suspects involved in this shooting. We will hold them accountable and we will bring them to justice." New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said he was confident that video evidence and eyewitness accounts would bring the perpetrators to justice. Robertson added that detectives were reviewing surveillance video from around the area and said police would soon release pictures from the video as well as descriptions of the suspects. "Our crime fighting efforts have brought murders in the city of New Orleans to a historic nearly 30-year low. But on days like today, the statistics don`t matter because every life is precious - from the 9th Ward to the French Quarter," Mayor Landrieu commented. "We will not rest until every corner of this city is safe." New Orleans has one of the highest crime rates in the United States, though mass shootings are relatively rare. According to figures collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 156 people were murdered in the city last year, down from 193 murders in 2012. A total of 1,564 assaults were also reported last year. In May 2013, twenty people were injured when a member of a gang calling itself the "Frenchmen and Derbigny Boys" opened fire at a crowd watching a Mother`s Day parade in the 7th Ward neighborhood near the French Quarter. The gunman, a 19-year-old man, was arrested days later, along with his brother who was said to be an accomplice. A motive remains unknown.