NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans' simmering crime problem became international news after a shooting that killed one woman and wounded three people Wednesday night at a Mardi Gras parade.

Four people, ages 15 to 19, were in custody after gunfire erupted at the Muses parade Wednesday just before 9 p.m. in the 2000 block of historic St. Charles Avenue.

Latosha Bell, 20, was killed after a fight broke out among a group of people who were walking along the parade route. She leaves behind a 1-year-old son. Three other people, ages 34, 33, and 22, were wounded in the shooting. All of the victims were innocent bystanders, police said.

"Actually, all of these (suspects) were in the same group," New Orleans Police Department Capt. Tony Canatella said. "This was all friends, if you want to call it that. These are all kids who live in the same neighborhood, that were just walking down the route together, got in an argument and that's their solution -- to shoot each other."

Six officers, including Canatella, were just 20 feet from the shooting and immediately intervened, detaining at least 12 people. Officers also recovered two handguns at the scene. The parade stopped momentarily while police secured the area. It then continued on its normal route.

Facing a charge of second-degree murder are: a 15-year-old boy, whose name is not being released because he's a juvenile; Adrian Norris and Alvin Wilson, both 17; and Ray Smith, 19. Each also faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder.

Wilson has a criminal record that includes previous arrests for aggravated battery, armed robbery and possession of marijuana, NOPD Superintendent Eddie Compass said. The other suspects have records for minor offenses.

A host of law enforcement and city officials vowed to redouble their efforts to make the Carnival season safe for residents and tourists, while admitting that the violence is a larger, societal issue.

At a news conference called Thursday to address the shooting, a Southern University of New Orleans criminologist said law enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.

"I think that what we are feeling here is a total disregard for authority based on the fact that young people in this community may feel a sense of being disconnected from institutions, and therefore feel free to weak havoc upon those institutions," said SUNO professor Dr. John Penny. "It sends out a great alarm. What do we do about the underlying family structures, schools, religious institutions and the moral values that we're giving off to the young people in our community?"

Other members of the law enforcement community attended the news conference. Below are some of their comments.

• "This kind of brings this community front and center, facing, once again, a critical challenge: How do we get our young people to have hope that there are other opportunities in this community and that they do not have to continue to participate in a life of crime? I have asked all the men in the community on numerous occasions to reach out to some of the young men in our community to make sure they understand there is a better direction. I'm also asking the business community to start to step up and hire some of these young people during the summer to give them some ideas that there are other opportunities."
  - Mayor Ray Nagin
• "The persons responsible for this horrible crime have shown an utter disregard for the value of life. They've also shown a disregard for authority by perpetrating this crime within the presence of police officers. This is the kind of crime that I have never seen before under these kinds of circumstances in connection with Mardi Gras. This is traditionally a time when families come together and enjoy a public celebration which has received worldwide recognition. To have individuals engage in gunfire under these circumstances is totally outrageous and unacceptable. My office will do everything in its power to work with the Police Department to ensure that those who are responsible for this horrible crime are brought to justice, and that they receive the maximum penalty for the crime they have committed. We're going to make an example of these individuals."
  - Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan
• "I'd like to express the Crime Commission's support and appreciation for the way Capt. Canatella and his men handled this situation. They responded under adverse circumstances where there was panic in the crowd, and they effected these arrests. I would urge the public not to allow this isolated instance to make them retreat from Mardi Gras. This is something that we've done as a community, and the Police Department and the city needs our support now more than ever."
  - Metropolitan Crime Commission Director Rafael Goyeneche