Authorities are investigating multiple shootings across the U.S. after violent incidents in Louisiana and North Carolina left at least three dead and at least nine injured.
Multiple suspects in custody, others still at large after shooting kills one, injures multiple at Baton Rouge mall
At least five people were injured and one person was killed in a shooting April 23 at a busy shopping mall in Louisiana’s capital, authorities said.
The shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge sent shoppers running from the building and prompted a large law enforcement response, according to Baton Rouge police and a local April 23 report from The Advocate. Initial reports said 10 people were injured, while more recent reports state that five people were injured and one person had died.
Police spokesperson Sgt. L’Jean McKneely said at least two victims were in critical condition, according to The Advocate. McKneely said the shooter fled before officers arrived and at least one suspect was still being sought as of the afternoon.
The Mall of Louisiana is one of the state’s largest shopping centers. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry urged residents to avoid the area while the investigation continued.
In an update posted to X on the evening of April 23, Landry stated that one person had died from the shooting and several people, including students from Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, had been injured. He added that multiple suspects have been taken into custody and others remain at large.
“These senseless tragedies must end. Sharon and I are praying for all those who have been impacted today,” Landry said. “We are committed to holding accountable every person involved. I want to thank our incredible first responders for quickly responding to the scene and saving lives.”
Police said the shooting was not random but “the result of a confrontation between two groups,” according to WAFB.
The mall shooting comes just days after a separate mass shooting in Louisiana. As Zeale News reported, a father shot and killed eight children — seven of his own and one cousin — in a domestic violence rampage across multiple homes in Shreveport's Cedar Grove neighborhood before being shot and killed by police.
This is a developing story.
Teen charged in deadly North Carolina park shooting
A few days earlier, a shooting tied to a planned fight at a park in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, left two teenage boys dead and four others wounded April 21, according to FOX8 WGHP.
Officers responded just before 10 a.m. to reports of gunfire at Leinbach Park, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department. The park is located less than a mile from Mount Tabor High School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School, both of which were placed on secure hold as a precaution. Officials said there was no direct threat to either campus.
Police identified the victims who died as Erubey Romero Medina, 17, who was found in a parking lot, and Daniel Jimenez Millian, 16, who was found inside the park. Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools said Jimenez Millian attended school in the district.
Four teenage girls, ages 14, 15, 17, and 19, were also shot. Authorities said their injuries ranged from minor to critical, and all were listed in stable condition as of the latest update.
Investigators said the shooting stemmed from a pre-arranged fight. Joel Michael Gamble-Toliver, 18, is accused of arriving at the park aware of the planned confrontation, engaging in a physical altercation and firing a gun during the incident, according to FOX8 WGHP.
Gamble-Toliver was charged April 21 with felony child abuse and felony rioting, along with unrelated outstanding warrants, police said. He appeared in court April 23.
Authorities said April 22 they were not seeking additional suspects.