Dozen people including minors were shot in New Orleans

At least a dozen people -- including a child as young as 10 -- have been hurt in a shooting at a parade in the US city of New Orleans, police said Sunday.

Local police spokesman Garry Flot said details surrounding the early afternoon incident were still unclear but that at least 12 people were wounded.

"It's probably going to be more than that," Flot told AFP.

He added that no one was killed and that three to four people were in hospital for surgery. A girl aged 10 to 12 suffered a graze wound.

Flot declined to provide further details and could not confirm local media reports that the parade was held in honor of Mother's Day.

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Ronal Serpas told reporters that shots from "maybe two different types of weapons" rang out "and immediately after the shots were fired, our officers saw three people running away."

In addition to those who may have been shot, one person may have been hurt when he or she fell to the ground, Serpas added.

"At this time, we have no indication that anyone will perish from today's events," he said, adding that the injured girl was in good condition.

Police were searching for a motive for the shooting.

"It appears that these two or three people just for a reason unknown to us, started shooting at, toward or in the crowd," Serpas said. "It was over in just a couple seconds."

The Times-Picayune newspaper quoted Serpas as saying there were about 300 to 400 people in the parade and some 200 people in the area of the shooting.

The newspaper reported that one of its journalists, who was participating in the parade, heard six or seven shots being fired.

It also cited a parade participant as saying that those in the event were throwing teddy bears and candy to watching revelers.

"I think what frustrates all of us is the selfishness of some people, and I think what frustrates all of us is that the great culture of this city sometimes stumbles a bit because of the selfish behavior of some people," Serpas told reporters.