When shoppers looked up from lunch at the Mall of Louisiana, the ordinary search for malls near me had already turned into something far more frightening. Gunfire erupted in the food court in Baton Rouge, and a teenage girl who came with friends for a senior-day outing did not make it home.
What happened inside the mall food court?
On Thursday about 1: 22 p. m. ET, six people were wounded in the mall on Bluebonnet Boulevard, and one of them, 17-year-old Martha Odom, died. The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office identified her after the shooting. Police said the gunfire followed a confrontation between two groups, and Baton Rouge Police Chief T. J. Morse said all six victims appeared to be innocent bystanders and not part of that confrontation.
Signi Dreyer, who works at the carousel inside the mall, said she was cleaning when she heard gunshots and saw a gunman “turning in circles and shooting. ” She said it appeared the person was “shooting randomly. ” Dreyer added, “I heard a loud bang and then another loud bang. At first, I thought someone was shooting fireworks in the food court. I turned around, and I saw people dropping to the ground, and I immediately saw the gun. ”
Why does this shooting hit so many families at once?
The violence reached beyond Baton Rouge in an instant. At least three of the wounded were from a high school in Lafayette, and city leaders confirmed that the victims include three seniors from Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette. Lafayette Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet said, “We are heartbroken by the senseless violence that happened. ”
Martha Odom was a senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Youngsville and had gone to the mall with friends for what was described as a senior skip day near graduation. She planned to attend Sewanee, also known as the University of the South, where she was going to study English and creative writing. Instead, she died from a gunshot wound to the chest. Another victim, Donnie Guillory, remained in critical condition on Friday.
The emotional shock was immediate at her school. Classmates held a prayer service and left flower bouquets in her parking spot on what had been the final day of senior week. Odom leaves behind her parents and a younger sister.
What do we know about the investigation and arrests?
By Friday, police announced the arrest of Markel Lee, 17, who was booked with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and illegal use of a weapon. Authorities also released a photo of another suspect they believe was involved. Separately, investigators said five suspects were in custody within hours of the shooting, including one arrested in Livingston Parish.
Sheriff Jason Ard with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office said investigators cannot confirm that Marcus Washington, 18, was involved in the shooting. Ard said Washington was arrested and booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center after investigators found him with Schedule II narcotics and a firearm. He added that questions about the mall shooting should be directed to the Baton Rouge Police Department. Baton Rouge Police Chief T. J. Morse said the investigation is ongoing and that more suspects may be out there.
How are leaders responding after the shooting?
East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards praised the response of law enforcement and paramedics to what he called a “chaotic and dangerous” situation. “Violence like this will not be tolerated in Baton Rouge, ” he said. Morse urged the public to come forward with any information, including videos that might show the shooting or its aftermath. Charles Koger, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Orleans Division, said the FBI is providing a supporting role and will provide needed resources.
For the people who were at the mall for an ordinary afternoon, the memory will likely stay with them long after the scene clears. The food court that once drew families searching for malls near me now carries the weight of a question that has no easy answer: how quickly can a public place become a place of grief?
Image caption: A Baton Rouge food court becomes the center of a deadly shooting that left families searching for answers around malls near me.
