17-Year-Old Martha Odom Killed in Mall of Louisiana Shooting in Baton Rouge

A mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, killed 17-year-old Martha Odom and wounded several others after two groups exchanged gunfire inside the food court area on Thursday afternoon.

NBC News said the shooting happened “just before 1:30 p.m.” in the food court area, and it involved two groups that had gotten into a disagreement.

AP News

The Guardian described the incident as “two groups exchanged gunfire inside the food court at a mall in Louisiana’s capital city on Thursday afternoon,” and said Martha Odom was one of three high school seniors from Ascension Episcopal school caught in the crossfire.

Multiple outlets tied the victim to Ascension Episcopal in Lafayette, with WAFB reporting that students placed flowers on Odom’s designated parking spot on Friday, a day after she was killed.

The East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office said Odom was struck in the chest by gunfire as shots rang out early Thursday afternoon, according to WAFB.

The Louisiana First report added that the coroner’s office released preliminary autopsy results and said the manner of death for 17-year-old Martha Odom was homicide and the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.

In the immediate aftermath, NBC News reported that a police officer assigned to the mall and an East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputy in the mall parking lot responded after shots rang out, and Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards said officers “ran into gunfire and risked their lives in the process of saving countless others.”

Police identified and charged a 17-year-old suspect, Markel Lee, after the Mall of Louisiana shooting, and officials said he was taken into custody on a murder charge.

NBC News reported that Markel Lee was arrested on a murder charge and that he was taken into custody on charges of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of illegal use of a firearm, after he turned himself in to police Friday with his attorney.

BBC

The Guardian similarly said police on Friday said Markel Lee surrendered to investigators on a count of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of illegally using a weapon.

The New York Post said the alleged gunman was charged with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder and one count of illegal use of a weapon, and it added that he was being held in East Baton Rouge Jail without bond, according to inmate records viewed by The Post.

People reported that on Friday, April 24, the Baton Rouge Police Department said a 17-year-old suspect had been charged and that Markel Lee was charged with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder and one count of illegal use of a firearm after the teen turned himself in, and it said Lee was in custody in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

The Guardian also said police asked for the public’s help in finding a second suspect and provided a surveillance image to the media.

The New York Post and NBC News both described the existence of another person connected to the shooting, with The Post saying police shared a photo of another person “connected to the shooting” and that the unidentified individual captured on security cameras appears to be a black male wearing a blue hoodie.

NBC News added that detectives were searching for another suspect wanted in connection with the shooting, and it said five people were taken into custody on Thursday but released pending further investigation.

As investigators pursued suspects, local officials and the victim’s school described Martha Odom as a “joyful presence” and a “really great, hardworking young woman.”

WAFB reported that Ascension Episcopal students in Lafayette placed flowers on Odom’s designated parking spot on Friday, a day after the 17-year-old was killed, and it quoted Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet saying, “Martha Odom was just a really great, hardworking young woman. Ready for some great things in life, and so it’s tragic, and it’s sad.”

WAFB also quoted Boulet saying, “Youngsters with guns is never a good idea unless it’s in a blind hunting ducks,” and added that “Teenagers… You know, it’s tough.”

The school’s statement, repeated by WAFB and NBC News, said, “Ascension Episcopal School mourns the loss of one of our seniors, Martha Odom, following yesterday’s off-campus tragedy,” and it added that two additional students continued to recover and two were present but not injured.

NBC News quoted the school’s remembrance as “a joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.”

The Guardian likewise said the school issued a statement saying Martha’s classmates would remember her as “a joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her,” and it included another line from the statement: “Ascension Episcopal School carries this cross together,” and “We are holding one another close with an immense amount of faith and love.”

The Louisiana First report included the school’s Facebook message and repeated the scripture line, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

People added that the school said four other students were also present during the shooting, two of whom were injured, and it described Odom as a 17-year-old high school senior.

State and city officials also addressed the shooting and described the response while medical information about the injured remained central.

NBC News quoted Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill as saying, “There are no words for the devastating loss of innocent life,” and it said she added, “Those responsible for this senseless violence must face the full force of the law.”

CNN

The New York Post also quoted Sen. John Kennedy (R. La.) writing on Facebook that “Martha was a 17-year-old high school student beloved by all who knew her,” and it said Kennedy wrote that her life should never have been cut short by “the senseless violence we saw at the Mall of Louisiana.”

NBC News reported that Donnie Guillory, 43, remained hospitalized in critical condition and underwent surgery, and it said several others were wounded.

WAFB and FOX 8 Local First both described the victim’s injuries and the broader impact on students, with FOX 8 Local First saying Odom was struck in the chest by gunfire as shots rang out early Thursday afternoon and that she was weeks away from graduating.

The New York Post said officials ruled her death a homicide and that five others were wounded, including Odom’s two classmates.

NBC News added that detectives used security footage and “other investigative tools” to identify the suspects, and it said detectives were searching for another suspect wanted in connection with the shooting.

It also reported that five people were taken into custody on Thursday and released pending further investigation, while Markel Lee remained in custody after turning himself in.

While the core facts of the shooting and the charged suspect were consistent across outlets, the reporting emphasized different details about context and the investigation’s early theories.

NBC News said the shooting involved two groups that had gotten into a disagreement, and it reported that authorities previously said the shooting stemmed from a disagreement between two groups of people.

Fox 10 News

NBC News also quoted Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse saying it is believed that handguns were used and that one firearm was recovered, and it said investigators were looking into whether the shooting was gang-related, with Morse saying, “This definitely probably has some ties to social media beef, gang-related stuff but we’re still at the beginning of this.”

The New York Post likewise described feuding groups inside the food court and said the alleged gunman was charged and detained, but it added a personal timeline around Martha Odom’s final week, saying she “had just returned home from a spring break trip to New York City days before the tragedy.”

People and NOLA both focused heavily on Odom’s life and writing, with NOLA describing her as “a writer, a dancer, a Dr Pepper enthusiast” and recounting her “senior skip day” and spring break activities.

The Guardian, by contrast, included a broader national context by stating there have been “at least 122 mass shootings in the US” as of Friday, according to the Gun Violence Archive, and it also noted that Martha’s death was “less than a week after another mass shooting in Louisiana” in Shreveport.

Even within the local reporting, outlets differed in how they framed the number of wounded and the status of students, with the New York Post saying “Five others were wounded” and WAFB’s school statement saying “Two additional students continue to recover from injuries, and two were present but not injured.”

Those differences show how the same event can be narrated through different lenses: investigation and charges, personal biography of the victim, and wider context around mass shootings.

As the investigation moved forward, multiple outlets described what authorities were doing next and what the immediate aftermath looked like for the victim’s community.

NBC News said detectives used security footage and “other investigative tools” to identify the suspects, and it reported that detectives were also searching for another suspect wanted in connection with the shooting.

The Guardian said police asked for the public’s help in finding a second suspect and that the second suspect was shown in a surveillance image provided to the media.

The New York Post said police shared a photo of another person “connected to the shooting” and described the unidentified individual captured on security cameras as appearing to be a black male wearing a blue hoodie.

People reported that the Baton Rouge Police Department initially said five people had been taken into custody after the shooting, and then said a 17-year-old suspect had been charged, while also noting it was not immediately clear if he had retained an attorney or entered a plea.

In parallel, the victim’s school and local community focused on counseling and prayer, with WAFB saying students were talking with counselors and praying for the recovery of everyone involved in the shooting.

WAFB also said the school asked for continued prayers for healing, peace, and strength for all those affected, and it said counseling and pastoral support continued to be available on campus.

The Louisiana First report included the coroner’s preliminary autopsy results and repeated the school’s Facebook message asking for continued prayers, including the line “We ask for continued prayers—for healing, for peace, and for the strength to carry one another forward.”