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Baton Rouge Mall of Louisiana Shooting Injures 10; Suspects Still at Large

Baton Rouge Mall of Louisiana Shooting Injures 10; Suspects Still at Large
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At least 10 people were shot Thursday afternoon at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, with two victims in critical condition and the suspects still at large, authorities said kctv5 +1. The shooting began after an argument between two groups in the mall’s busy food court, sending shoppers running for cover in the state’s largest shopping center kctv5 +1.

How the Mall Shooting Unfolded

Gunfire erupted around 1:30–2:00 p.m. local time in the food court area, where surveillance video showed two groups arguing before drawing weapons and firing, Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr. said kctv5 +1. Police and EMS responded within minutes, locking down the mall as panicked shoppers hid in stores and back rooms while officers swept the complex kctv5 +1.

Authorities said at least 10 people were wounded and taken to local hospitals, with initial reports indicating six transported by EMS and others arriving in private vehicles; several underwent surgery and at least two were listed in critical condition washingtonexaminer. Police later said the incident was no longer an “active shooter” situation but emphasized that the gunmen had escaped the scene and a manhunt was underway fox56news +1.

Officials stressed that the attack appeared targeted rather than random. “Two groups of people got into an argument inside the food court and started shooting at each other… unfortunately, there were some innocent people that were in the area that might have also caught some rounds,” Morse said kctv5 +1.

Law Enforcement Manhunt and Political Response

The Baton Rouge Police Department led the response, joined by the FBI’s New Orleans field office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which deployed agents and resources to assist with the search and investigation fox56news +1. State and parish agencies, including Louisiana State Police and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, monitored and supported the operation as officers reviewed surveillance footage and collected shell casings at the scene fox56news +1.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called it an “active shooter scene,” urged residents to avoid the area, and said he was coordinating with law enforcement while offering prayers for the victims usatoday. Baton Rouge’s mayor vowed that those responsible would be caught, saying authorities would not allow such violence to become commonplace in the city fox56news. The shooting occurred days after a separate mass shooting in Shreveport that left eight children dead, heightening concern over gun violence across the state kfdm.

The Bigger Picture

The attack at the Mall of Louisiana — a major regional shopping hub that opened in 1997 — underscored how quickly routine public spaces can turn into crime scenes, as patrons out for lunch were caught in crossfire between rival groups kctv5 +1. With the suspects still at large and at least two victims fighting for their lives, the investigation’s next phase will test the ability of local and federal agencies to identify and apprehend the shooters, even as Louisiana confronts a succession of high-profile attacks that have intensified scrutiny of public safety and violent crime statewide fox56news +2.