HAMMOND - Tangipahoa Parish deputies arrested 19 people and confiscated 12 guns over the weekend at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.

Tangipahoa Sheriff Gerald Sticker on Monday said the majority of those arrested were under the age of 25, including two juveniles. Those arrested at minimum face a charge of illegal carrying of a firearm, with several facing additional charges like resisting arrest and drug possession charges.

“The rules for festival attendance have never changed, but this year, those rules, including no weapons, were widely publicized,” Sticker said. “There is no need for anyone to have weapons or illegal drugs at a family event like the Strawberry Festival, but Louisiana laws make it clear neither are allowed in that environment, regardless.”

One person arrested had a warrant out for their arrest. Another person had a criminal history, deputies added. 

Despite this, Sticker called increased security measures at the festival “a success,” and said the higher-than-usual amount of deputies, alongside cameras, drones and lower crowd numbers, helped deputies keep people safe.

Organizers of the Strawberry Festival place the number of event goers between 250,000 and 275,000, which is lower than the Louisiana State Police’s projected attendance number of 300,000.

"I feel like it was slower for everybody is word on the street," Sean Benoit, a business owner near the festival, said. "From a lot of people, I heard, 'Sometimes less is more.' Even though it was less [people], they felt a little bit safer."

Festival organizers said they plan to practice these same safety measures next year.

"We want everyone to feel safe and have a fun family atmosphere," Festival Chairman Rueben Auter said.

Before the festival, authorities in Ponchatoula banned four people from the festival on suspicion of threats being made to the festival in the wake of last year's shooting.

While there were no shootings at the Strawberry Festival over the weekend, less than a mile away on Sunday evening, a shooting on North First Street sent two people to the hospital, both suffering gunshot wounds to the leg. Ponchatoula Police Chief Bry Layrisson said the shooting location is near Tasker Park, which he says often sees an increase in calls during the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.

"Something has got to be done moving forward to prevent these from happening. Like I said, I had five officers there and they still did the shootings right in front of the officers," Layrisson said.