Baton Rouge Mall Food Court Shooting Victim Identified; Teen Suspect Charged With Murder
A 17-year-old high school senior was killed and at least 10 others were wounded Thursday after gunfire erupted in the food court of the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, police said and footage showed.
Authorities identified the victim as 17-year-old Martha Odom, and said 17-year-old Markel Lee surrendered and was charged with first-degree murder, multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder, and an illegal-use-of-a-weapon count. Police said one person died and at least five people were taken to hospitals, and investigators described the shooting as the result of an argument between two groups rather than a random attacker. Authorities released a surveillance photo and asked the public to help identify a second suspect who remains at large.
Initial reports described an active-shooter response and drew a major law-enforcement presence, and Governor Jeff Landry said he was coordinating with police and urged people to avoid the area. Attorney General Liz Murrill and other officials said the gunfire occurred in the mall food court and that several bystanders, including high school students, were caught in the crossfire. In East Baton Rouge Parish, homicides fell to 106 in 2025 from 125 in 2024, but residents and officials say the attack underscores ongoing concerns about youth violence and public safety.
Coverage shifted as investigators released details: early live updates focused on an active-shooter response and uncertainty about casualties, while later reporting by CBS News and The Guardian clarified that rival groups had clashed, identified the victim, and named a teen suspect. Investigators continue searching for the second suspect and have urged anyone with information to contact police as the community mourns and demands accountability.
Show source details & analysis (8 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
In East Baton Rouge Parish, the number of homicides decreased to 106 in 2025 from 125 in 2024. ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news)) ([East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office](https://www.ebrcoroner.com/news))
News | East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark — East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office
📌 Key Facts
- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry confirmed authorities were responding to an “active shooter” at the Mall of Louisiana, said he was coordinating with law enforcement, urged the public to avoid the area and publicly thanked first responders (Gov. Jeff Landry).
- Attorney General Liz Murrill said the shooting occurred in the mall’s food court; the mall’s spokesperson Lindsay Kahn confirmed a shooting and referred questions to police, and images posted online showed a major police presence (Attorney General Liz Murrill).
- Officials later said one person died and at least five people were taken to hospital; earlier police reports had said at least 10 people were injured in the Mall of Louisiana shooting (CBS News).
- Investigators say the shooting stemmed from an argument between two rival groups whose feud escalated in the food court, with law enforcement describing the participants as two "rival groups" (two 'rival groups').
- The coroner identified the person killed as 17‑year‑old high school senior Martha Odom, who died of a gunshot wound to the chest; officials said she was one of three Ascension Episcopal School seniors caught in the crossfire, and Attorney General Murrill — a family friend — called for those responsible to face the full force of the law (Martha Odom).
- Police said 17‑year‑old Markel Lee surrendered and was charged with first‑degree murder, five counts of attempted first‑degree murder and one count of illegal use of a weapon; he is the only one of five initially detained who remains in custody, and authorities released a surveillance image seeking public help to identify a second suspect at large (Markel Lee).
📰 Source Timeline (8)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Coroner identified the person killed as 17-year-old high school senior Martha Odom, who died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
- Officials confirmed Martha was one of three Ascension Episcopal School seniors caught in the crossfire; at least five school students were present during the shooting.
- Police said 17-year-old Markel Lee surrendered and was charged with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of illegal use of a weapon.
- Police stated Lee is the only one of the five initially detained who remains in custody; the other four were released pending further investigation.
- Authorities released a surveillance image and asked for public help identifying a second suspect who remains at large.
- Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued a statement identifying herself as a friend of the Odom family and calling for those responsible to face the full force of the law.
- Officials now say one person died in the Louisiana mall shooting, in addition to five people injured.
- CBS frames the mall shooting update together with a separate, emerging story about a mass shooting plot targeting the New Orleans Jazz Fest.
- CBS characterizes the shooters as two 'rival groups' involved in a feud that escalated in the food court.
- Confirms at least five people were taken to the hospital after the gunfire.
- Reinforces that the confrontation and shooting occurred specifically in the food court area of the Mall of Louisiana.
- Mini-report reiterates that 10 people were injured in the Louisiana shopping mall shooting, framed as the latest mass shooting in the state.
- No new details are added beyond what is already in the existing Baton Rouge mall story.
- Police now say at least 10 people were injured in the Mall of Louisiana shooting.
- Investigators attribute the shooting to an argument between two groups, rather than a lone random attacker.
- CBS segment frames the incident as a mass shooting and notes that law enforcement has provided this causal account.
- Attorney General Liz Murrill said the shooting occurred in the mall's food court.
- Mall spokesperson Lindsay Kahn confirmed that a shooting happened and referred questions to police.
- Governor Landry publicly thanked law enforcement and said he and his wife were grateful for the quick response.
- Images posted online showed a major police presence at the mall.
- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry publicly confirmed on X that authorities were responding to an 'active shooter' at the Mall of Louisiana.
- Landry stated he was in coordination with law enforcement and urged the public to avoid the area.
- Officials have not yet confirmed the number of injuries or fatalities or what led to the shooting.