1 was killed and 5 were injured when a shooting erupted at a mall in Louisiana
One person was killed and five others were injured, including one seriously, Thursday afternoon when gunfire erupted in the food court of a Louisiana shopping center in Baton Rouge, authorities said.
Police did not release the name of the deceased. Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse said during a brief press conference that the man was taken to a local hospital along with four other victims after the incident.
Of the other four victims, one person underwent surgery, and three had minor injuries, said Chief Morse. One person was taken to another hospital with minor injuries, he said.
Five victims, including the deceased, were treated at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, a spokeswoman said. The remaining four patients were in good condition, he added.
Three of the dead were seniors at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, La., Monique Blanco Boulet, mayor of Lafayette Parish, said on social media. It was not yet clear whether the deceased was a student at this school.
Earlier, the police had said that 10 people were injured in this incident, but Chief Morse corrected that information on Thursday afternoon.
Chief Morse said during a news conference last Thursday that the shooting appeared to be “targeted.”
Two groups of people had an argument in the food court of this shopping center around 1:20 pm, and they fired at each other, he said. When bystanders were shot, Chief Morse said, “It doesn’t appear to be a random act of violence.”
The area is no longer functional, said Chief Morse. The Baton Rouge Police Department posted on social media that they have five suspects in custody in connection with the shooting. The investigation is still open, said Chief Morse.
Jason Ard, the Livingston Parish sheriff, said on social media Thursday evening that his deputies have arrested a person of interest in Watson, La., “who may be in custody in this incident.” The arrest was made about 20 miles northeast of the mall.
Sid Edwards, the mayor-president of Baton Rouge, La., said on social media that there had been a shooting with multiple victims, and that “all residents” had been safely evacuated from the mall.
Liz Murrill, Louisiana’s attorney general, said on social media that “a weapon or weapons were removed” from the food court at the complex.
Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana advised people to avoid the area near the mall, which is about nine miles southeast of downtown Baton Rouge.
Louisiana State Police responded to the mall to assist the Baton Rouge Police Department and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office in the investigation of the shooting, and troopers helped secure the scene, a spokeswoman said.
Mr. Edwards said during the news conference that citizens have a right to be concerned about the shooting and public safety in Louisiana.
The shooting at the mall came less than a week after a shooting that killed eight children and wounded two adults in Shreveport, La., about 250 miles northwest of Baton Rouge.
“The devil lives everywhere,” said Mr. Edwards.
