BATON ROUGE, La. — A teenager faces murder charges while law enforcement continues hunting for a second suspect in connection with a fatal mall shooting in Louisiana’s capital that claimed the life of a 17-year-old high school student on Thursday.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced during a Friday press briefing his commitment to combating gang-related violence that has troubled Baton Rouge. The governor, known for his tough stance on crime, revealed he had discussions with FBI Director Kash Patel and pledged to deploy state, local and federal law enforcement resources to tackle the problem, stating that consequences “are going to start being felt immediately.”
Landry announced plans for coordinated action involving multiple agencies including the National Guard, FBI, Department of Justice and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to conduct “a targeted warrant sweep” focusing on individuals linked to the mall incident and the “neighborhoods that these individuals came out of.” The governor emphasized that adults who “enable juvenile offenders” will also “need to face consequences as well.”
“We are not going to allow our streets, our schools and our public spaces to become your battleground,” Landry declared. “Those who brought this violence into our public spaces and into the lives of our ordinary citizens, I want you to know you are now the criminal problem and we are focused on you.”
Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse indicated the violence appeared motivated by “social media beefs and maybe gang-related stuff,” though investigators continue their work. Morse emphasized the attack was deliberate, not random.
“We know that this was two groups of people that met up at the mall, exchanged words and then pulled guns and innocent people were hit,” Morse explained.
The violence erupted Thursday afternoon in the Mall of Louisiana’s food court area, sending shoppers and employees scrambling for safety or hiding places as gunshots echoed through the building. Morse praised two mall security officers who immediately responded to the gunfire and provided medical assistance, crediting their rapid response with saving lives.
Law enforcement responded with overwhelming force, deploying hundreds of officers equipped with tactical gear and rifles while helicopters monitored from overhead.
The shooting wounded five individuals, including a 43-year-old man who remains hospitalized in critical condition. Martha Odom, a 17-year-old student from Lafayette, lost her life in the attack. According to The Advocate, Odom had come to the mall with friends as part of her “senior skip day” activities. Two fellow students from her school, Ascension Episcopal School, were also wounded in the incident.
Ascension Episcopal School honored Odom in a social media tribute, calling her “a joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.”
Initially, police detained five individuals but later released them all. On Friday, a 17-year-old suspect surrendered to authorities and now faces charges including first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and illegal weapon possession. According to Morse, this juvenile defendant has a significant record of prior offenses in the juvenile justice system.
Police continue seeking another suspect and have requested public assistance with any relevant information.
During Friday’s media briefing, Landry expressed his strong desire to see the perpetrators imprisoned for life at Angola, Louisiana’s infamous state correctional facility.
Recent changes to Louisiana law now require 17-year-old defendants to be prosecuted as adults in the criminal justice system.
This tragic incident marks the second major gun violence case in Louisiana this week. Earlier, a father killed eight children, including seven of his own, during a family attack Sunday morning that spanned two residences in a Shreveport neighborhood. The gunman’s wife and another woman suffered critical injuries in that incident.
Law enforcement also prevented another potential tragedy this week when they arrested a former North Carolina police officer at a Florida hotel. Authorities say the suspect was planning a racially motivated mass shooting at a prominent New Orleans festival and was found with a handgun and hundreds of ammunition rounds.
