Mayor Roy ensures safety of AlexRiverFete following Sunday’s downtown shooting

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy is still encouraging residents and festival goers to come out and enjoy AlexRiverFete from May 4-6 following a fatal shooting downtown just days before the festival is set to begin.

On Sunday, April 30, Alexandria Police Chief Chad Gremillion told KALB that a party was held on a private rooftop that spilled into the Fulton Mini Park area where the deadly shooting occurred. News Channel 5 also learned that at least one stray bullet struck City Hall.

This is the same area where thousands of people are set to gather this weekend for the city’s largest festival. In a video posted on Facebook on Monday, May 1, Mayor Roy reassured that public safety is the top priority and will be secured for the festival.

While the mayor said Sunday’s shooting was an isolated incident, he shared that he has issued a series of executive orders with stricter rules for events held downtown.

“We are going to promote safe ones only, and if you can’t guarantee that your event is going to be safe or you are doing things that are going to be reckless and don’t create an atmosphere of safety, those events aren’t going to be happening in this downtown any longer,” said Mayor Jacques Roy.

The mayor also said that they have partnered with other law enforcement agencies to provide robust security at RiverFete.

For the full scheduled lineup of concerts and events at RiverFete, click here.

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