During Mardi Gras Day along the Uptown route, a rider on Float 26 in the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club parade allegedly hurled a bottle of alcohol from the float’s second deck, striking a 4‑year‑old child below. Zulu officials say they are investigating, have expressed concern for the young paradegoer and the family, and are working to identify the rider involved.
The incident, which unfolded Tuesday on the traditional Uptown stretch, was first detailed by NOLA.com, which reported that the bottle struck the child after being thrown from the float’s second story. Zulu leaders, quoted in that report, called the conduct a “clear and direct violation” of the krewe’s own parade-safety rules.
Zulu Pledges Discipline
In a statement reported by WDSU, Zulu leadership said it was “deeply disturbed” by what happened and stressed that the safety of children and all paradegoers is of “paramount importance” to the organization. The krewe said it plans to take “appropriate and decisive action” under its disciplinary rules, and under any applicable laws, as investigators work to pinpoint the rider on Float 26 who allegedly threw the bottle.
Parade Safety Under Scrutiny
The episode lands in the middle of a tense Carnival season for parade safety. Riders were removed from a Krewe of Thoth float last weekend and a Carrollton float was ejected earlier after reports of aggressive throwing, according to FOX 8. Those earlier incidents had already pushed city officials and krewe leaders to hammer home rules on crowd control and rider conduct before Tuesday’s marquee parades rolled.
What’s Next
Zulu has said it will share more information as its internal review moves forward, and city or police officials could also look at the case to decide whether additional action is warranted, according to NOLA.com. For now, the krewe has reiterated that any conduct that puts the public at risk “has no place” in its parade or in the organization.
Authorities have not released details about the child’s injuries, and Zulu has not provided identifying information about the rider involved. The krewe has asked anyone with relevant information to come forward. City public-safety leaders and parade marshals are expected to look closely at whether more safeguards or stricter enforcement will be needed for upcoming events.
