BATON ROUGE — A shooting inside the Mall of Louisiana Thursday afternoon left one person dead, at least five others injured, and five people in custody, according to law enforcement. As of Friday afternoon, one person has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
The six injured are all believed to have been caught in the crossfire and none of the victims are suspects, police said Thursday evening.
A Lafayette school has identified the person who died as one of its students, a 17-year-old set to graduate later this spring.
Investigators say the gunfire broke out around 1:30 p.m. in or near the mall’s food court after what authorities believe was an argument between two groups that escalated. Officials say the shooting appears to be gang-related.
Baton Rouge Police confirmed six victims were taken to the hospital. One of those victims later died. Sources tell UWK the person killed is a 17-year-old high school senior female. Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette has identified that teen as Martha Odom, adding that two other Ascension Episcopal students are healing from injuries and two others were present at the time of the shooting.
Lafayette Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet confirmed that three of the injured victims are seniors at Ascension Episcopal School.
“We are heartbroken by the senseless violence,” Boulet said, asking the community to pray for the victims and their families.
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Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse said five people were taken into custody before 4 p.m. Thursday. It’s not yet clear what charges they may face, if any. They have only been detained at this time.
Sources also confirmed to UWK that one of the suspects was later detained in the Oak Hills subdivision in Watson, extending the investigation into Livingston Parish. Multiple sources have confirmed Marcus Washington is the person who was detained and that officials located a gun on him at the time of arrest.
Emergency crews responded within minutes of the first 911 calls. Multiple agencies flooded the area, shutting down entrances to the mall as shoppers were evacuated.
By late afternoon, police said the mall was “secure,” but urged the public to continue avoiding the area as the investigation remains active. The Mall of Louisiana will remain closed on Friday, April 24th out of respect for the victims.
Mayor-President Sid Edwards said the city was closely coordinating with first responders.
“If you’re going to act like this in Baton Rouge and do these things, you’re going to be caught,” Edwards said.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill called the violence “completely unacceptable,” adding that those responsible will be held accountable.
“This kind of violence in a place where families shop is completely unacceptable,” Murrill said.
Officials say early indications suggest those involved knew each other, and that bystanders were not the intended targets. That remains under investigation.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed the shooting or has video to contact Crime Stoppers.
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