One teenager is dead and five are injured following a mass shooting at 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 at the Baton Rouge mall, according to NBC News.
Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr. said that five suspects were taken into custody. However, no one 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 that we are still trying to unravel,” Morse said. “And unfortunately, innocent victims got caught in the crossfire.”
It is believed that handguns were used in the shooting, and Morse said that one handgun has been recovered.
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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 none of the victims are considered suspects as of time of publication.
Following the shooting, the Mall of Louisiana closed and issued a statement about the tragedy.
“We are heart broken and angered that our shopping center was the location for today’s horrific incident,” the mall said, per NBC News.
Morse said that the investigation into the matter remains ongoing, and police are looking for additional people who may have been involved in the shooting. Police have also asked anyone who may have cellphone video of the incident to submit it for surveillance.
“We know that there are more suspects out there,” Morse said.
Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet said that three of the victims are high school seniors.
Martha Odom, a senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette Parish, has been identified as the victim who was killed in the shooting.
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The school took to Facebook to remember Odom as “a joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.”
The school also confirmed that two other students were victims in the shooting. “We continue to lift in prayer the two students who are healing, as well as the two additional students who were present,” the post read.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from near and far. Our priority at this time is to care for 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 carry one another forward.”
