One teenager is dead and five are injured following a mass shooting on the Mall of Louisiana, while several people have been taken into custody for questioning.
Police said that the shooting took place on Thursday, April 23, at 1:22 p.m. near the food court on the Baton Rouge mall, in response to NBC News.
Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr. said that five suspects were taken into custody. Nonetheless, nobody has been formally arrested and the suspects have been detained and interviewed.
“This was not a random act. This was a disagreement, a fight between two different groups of people who we’re still attempting to unravel,” Morse said. “And unfortunately, innocent victims got caught within the crossfire.”
It’s believed that handguns were utilized in the shooting, and Morse said that one handgun has been recovered.
Certainly one of the five people injured was in critical condition on the evening of April 23, while the others sustained minor injuries.
Police also confirmed that not one of the victims are considered suspects as of time of publication.
Following the shooting, the Mall of Louisiana closed and issued a press release in regards to the tragedy.
“We’re heart broken and angered that our shopping mall was the situation for today’s horrific incident,” the mall said, per NBC News.
Morse said that the investigation into the matter stays ongoing, and police are searching for additional individuals who can have been involved within the shooting. Police have also asked anyone who can have cellphone video of the incident to submit it for surveillance.
“We all know that there are more suspects on the market,” Morse said.
Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet said that three of the victims are highschool seniors.
Martha Odom, a senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette Parish, has been identified because the victim who was killed within the shooting.
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The varsity took to Facebook to recollect Odom as “a joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.”
The varsity also confirmed that two other students were victims within the shooting. “We proceed to lift in prayer the 2 students who’re healing, in addition to the 2 additional students who were present,” the post read.
“We’re deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from near and much. Our priority at the moment is to take care of the hearts and minds of our students, families, and staff,” the post continued. “We ask for continued prayers — for healing, for peace, and for the strength to hold each other forward.”