A 17-year-old boy was arrested on a murder charge following a shooting Thursday at a Louisiana mall that left a 17-year-old girl dead and a 43-year-old man critically injured.
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Markel Lee, 17, was taken into custody in connection with the shooting on charges of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of illegal use of a firearm. He turned himself in to police Friday with his attorney, Morse said.
The shooting happened just before 1:30 p.m. in the food court area of the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge and involved two groups that had gotten into a disagreement.
A Baton Rouge police officer assigned to the mall and an East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputy in the mall parking lot immediately responded after shots rang out.
“Our Baton Rouge police officers and East Baton Rouge sheriff’s officers ran into gunfire and risked their lives in the process of saving countless others,” Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards said at a Friday afternoon news conference.
Martha Odom, a senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge, was killed in the shooting.
“There are no words for the devastating loss of innocent life,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a Facebook statement, noting that her family has been friends with the Odom family for decades.
“I’m praying for her, her family and friends, and the entire Lafayette community during this heartbreaking time. Those responsible for this senseless violence must face the full force of the law,” Murrill said.
Ascension Episcopal School remembered her as a “joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her.” The school said on Facebook that two other students “are healing” after the shooting.
Donnie Guillory, 43, is hospitalized in critical condition and underwent surgery, Police Chief T.J. Morse said. Several others were wounded.
Authorities had previously said that the shooting stemmed from a disagreement between two groups. At Friday’s news conference, officials said detectives used security footage and “other investigative tools” to identify the suspects.
Detectives are also searching for another suspect wanted in connection with the shooting.
Five people were taken into custody on Thursday. Morse said Friday that they had been released pending further investigation.
The chief previously said that it is believed that handguns were used in the shooting. One firearm was recovered, he said. On Friday, he said investigators are looking into whether the shooting was gang-related.
“This definitely probably has some ties to social media beef, gang-related stuff but we’re still at the beginning of this,” he said.
Todd Terrell, president of the United Cajun Navy, which responds to local natural disasters, said Thursday that he was at Dillard’s when he heard around 15 to 20 shots.
“It sounded like a fully automatic gun,” he said.
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