Teen Charged in Mall of Louisiana Shooting That Killed Student
A 17-year-old turned himself in after the Mall of Louisiana shooting, where Martha Odom was killed and five people were wounded in the food court.
Markel Lee, 17, turned himself in Friday with his attorney and was charged in the Mall of Louisiana shooting that killed Martha Odom and left five people wounded, including a 43-year-old man who remained in critical condition after surgery.
Baton Rouge police said the shooting erupted Thursday afternoon in the mall’s food court after an argument between two groups. Officers said the violence was not random. Investigators believe it may have grown out of social media beefs and possibly gang-related conflict, a claim that has put the case squarely in the middle of a broader street-feud investigation.
Police said the scene quickly turned chaotic just before 1:30 p.m. Shoppers and employees ran for cover as shots rang out inside the busy Baton Rouge mall. Officers and sheriff’s deputies rushed toward the gunfire to protect people inside, while investigators later used surveillance footage and other tools to identify suspects tied to the shooting.
Lee now faces first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of a firearm. Authorities are still searching for a second suspect. Five people were detained on Thursday but later released pending further investigation.
The victim killed in the shooting was Martha Odom, a 17-year-old senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge. The school said two other students from Ascension Episcopal were wounded in the shooting, and two more students were at the mall as witnesses when the gunfire broke out.
The critically injured man was identified by police as Donnie Guillory. He underwent surgery and remained hospitalized Friday. Police said five people overall were wounded in the shooting, underscoring how quickly the fight in the food court spilled into a crowded public space.
The Mall of Louisiana closed Friday out of respect for the victims as the investigation pressed on. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he had spoken with FBI Director Kash Patel and vowed targeted law-enforcement action against those tied to the shooting. Baton Rouge officials said the case would continue to be pursued aggressively as detectives work to identify everyone involved and sort out exactly how the confrontation escalated into deadly gunfire.
Know something we missed? Have a correction or additional information?
Submit a Tip
