Two Groups Shoot At Mall of Louisiana Food Court in Baton Rouge, Killing 1

A shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, Louisiana left one person dead and five others injured after two groups began shooting at each other in the food court, police said.

The incident unfolded on Thursday afternoon, with Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr saying it appeared to have started after an argument in the food court.

AP News

BBC reported that “One person has been killed and five others were injured,” and CNN similarly said “One person was killed and at least five others were injured.”

Police said the gunfire sent shoppers running and ducking for cover in stores and dressing rooms, with witnesses describing people warning others to “take cover” and “get down.”

CNN reported that one of the victims was in critical condition while four suffered minor injuries, and it also said police initially reported 10 injured before revising the number.

Fox 8 Local First (WVUE) said officers were dispatched at 1:22 p.m. to the mall in reference to shots being fired in the food court area, and it described one victim as deceased, one in surgery, and three with minor injuries.

Multiple outlets also described the police response as swift, with CNN saying a Baton Rouge Police officer assigned to the mall and a sheriff’s deputy rushed to the scene and “within minutes, dozens more officers arrived.”

Police described the shooting as a targeted confrontation between two groups rather than a random act of violence, and they said investigators were reviewing surveillance footage and collecting evidence.

BBC quoted Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr saying investigators believed the incident was not random, describing it as “a targeted disagreement between two groups of people.”

BBC

CNN similarly said Morse described it as “a very targeted kind of disagreement between two groups of people,” and it added that investigators were “reviewing surveillance video and collecting evidence to determine how many weapons were involved.”

Several outlets reported that five people were taken into custody, though some said no arrests had been made at the time of their reporting.

BBC said “Five people have been arrested in connection to the shooting,” while CNN said “Five people are in custody” and also stated “No arrests have been made.”

Fox 8 Local First said police had five suspects in custody, and it described the investigation as ongoing while police were still looking for more people who may be involved.

UPI reported that a Facebook post at 4:25 p.m. said the Baton Rouge Police Department had five suspects in custody and the mall was secure.

Witness accounts described sudden gunfire in the food court area and chaotic movement through the mall, including people hiding in dressing rooms and breakrooms.

“One person was killed and at least five others were injured after an apparent argument led to a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge on Thursday, police said”

CNN

CNN reported that the gunfire sent frightened shoppers running and ducking for cover in stores and dressing rooms, and it quoted witnesses warning others to “take cover” and “get down.”

CNN also included the account of Signi Dreyer, a carousel operator, who told CNN affiliate WAFB that she heard loud bangs and thought it was fireworks before seeing a man armed with a gun “turning in circles and just shooting.”

Dreyer said she radioed for security and was on the floor before police arrived, and she described the injured as ranging in severity, telling the outlet, “Some were more serious than others.”

Another witness, Raleigh Robertson, told CNN she was on the phone with her mother while shopping at Dick’s Sporting Goods when she heard gunshots and said, “I’m not a runner, but I’m about to be a runner today.”

Robertson said the “extremely rapid firing” continued for 20 to 30 seconds, and she described shoppers rushing toward dressing rooms and grabbing at door handles to hide inside.

WBRZ reported that within five minutes law enforcement had swarmed the mall after a woman on the phone told Kennedy Barnum, “There’s an active shooter in the mall.”

The shooting drew immediate attention because students from Ascension Episcopal School were among those affected, and school and local leaders issued statements urging prayer.

CNN reported that some of those affected include students from Ascension Episcopal School, a pre-Kindergarten-12 school in Lafayette, Louisiana, and it said Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry posted about it on X.

Fox 10 News

CNN quoted the school’s statement saying, “We are heartbroken by the news that some of our students were injured in a serious off-campus incident,” and it added, “We ask our community to join us in holding our school in prayer during this incredibly difficult time.”

WAFB said at least three of the wounded were from a high school in Lafayette, Louisiana, and it quoted Lafayette Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet saying, “The victims include three seniors from Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette.”

KADN News 15 (NEWS 15/AP) reported that an Ascension Episcopal School senior died and two other students from the Lafayette Parish school were wounded, and it said the students had gone to the Mall of Louisiana on what was senior skip day.

WBRZ described bystanders including high school students from Lafayette Parish being among those hit, and it said the mall was closed and Baton Rouge General Hospital was on lockdown for around an hour.

Across the reporting, school spokesperson Rachel Delcambre said the school would not be giving additional information “out of deep respect for the families and the sensitivity of this situation.”

While most outlets converged on one dead and five injured, the reporting diverged earlier on how many people were hurt and how many were taken to hospitals, reflecting revisions in the immediate aftermath.

BBC said at least five were injured, while CNN said police initially said 10 people were taken to hospital and at least two required surgery before revising the figure to five people being hurt.

FOX 8 Local First

UPI also described that reports originally said 10 injured but later revised that to five, and it said one person was confirmed dead.

WBRZ and Spectrum News (WGNO) both described one dead and five injured, but they also said police initially said there were 10 victims before later revising that number.

Fox 8 Local First said one is deceased, one is in surgery, and three have minor injuries, and it also described a sixth victim taken to a different hospital with minor injuries.

WAFB said six people were wounded and one of them, a 17-year-old, died, and it described the shooting as leaving “Six people were wounded and one of them, a 17-year-old, died.”

Officials emphasized ongoing investigation and public cooperation, with BBC quoting Mayor Sid Edwards saying, “To the thugs that did this, we’re going to catch you,” and with CNN saying the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the scene.