BATON ROUGE – Shots were reported in the food court of the Mall of Louisiana during the busy lunch hour on Thursday. A source told WBRZ that a nearby hospital was told to expect 6-8 people.
A WBRZ employee at the mall said she and others were herded with employees into the maze of tunnels that run among the mall’s stores and taken to a holding area, pending a head count of patrons. Outside, rifle-toting police officers could be seen escorting families to their cars.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether a shooter or shooters were still in the area.
All of the mall’s entrances have been closed.
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s deputies and State Police troopers are also at the scene.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he had been informed about the developing situation.
“I am in coordination with law enforcement and we will update as we know more,” Landry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Please avoid the area. Sharon and I are praying for those affected and are grateful for a quick response by our law enforcement officials.”
