At least 10 people wounded in Louisiana mall shooting, police say | Louisiana
At least 10 people were injured and hospitalized in a shooting between two groups in the food court at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge on Thursday, according to police.
Many people involved fled when a large police presence responded.
“We’re going to catch the thugs who did this,” Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards told reporters.
Authorities are searching for suspects with the help of multiple agencies, including the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
“Two groups of people got into an argument in the food court and started shooting at each other,” Baton Rouge police Chief TJ Morse told reporters. “Unfortunately, there were some innocent people in the area who could have been caught by some of the bullets.”
Police officers received calls reporting gunshots heard in the food court around 1:22 p.m., the official said. Video footage later showed the two groups arguing before opening fire on each other, Morse said.
Morse added that 10 people with varying injuries were taken to nearby hospitals and at least two required surgery. He called on anyone who witnessed the incident to share their video footage.
“There is no known threat to the public at this time,” he said. “This is the safest place in Baton Rouge.”
Accordingly WBRZOne of the employees was among those taken to a secure waiting area inside the mall, while officers outside escorted the others to their vehicles.
FedEx employee Stanley Jackson told the Louisiana newspaper: Lawyer He said he was on the second floor of the mall when the shooting started. He said he believed “several different guns went off” and soon “everyone started running.”
Jackson added that he saw four people lying on the ground and bleeding.
Kennedy Barnum, 22, told The Associated Press that he was at the mall to have lunch in the food court when he heard a woman outside say on the phone, “I’ll call you back. There’s an active shooter at the mall.”
Barnum described seeing people running and crying as law enforcement arrived within minutes. “We talked to a security guard there and he told us there was an active shooter there, people were being shot and injured, and we needed to leave immediately,” Barnum told the AP.
Governor Jeff Landry said he was notified of the incident and urged residents to avoid the area. He said he and his wife “pray for those affected and are grateful for the quick response of our law enforcement.” expression In X.
The incident follows another shooting earlier this week in Shreveport, Louisiana, where eight children were killed and two adults were injured in what police called a “domestic violence incident.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
