Police said one suspect remained wanted after gunfire killed Martha Odom and wounded five others.
BATON ROUGE, La. — A 17-year-old was arrested Friday after a shooting inside the Mall of Louisiana food court killed a Lafayette high school senior and wounded five other people, police said.
Markel Lee turned himself in and was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison after the Thursday afternoon shooting, Baton Rouge Police Chief T.J. Morse said. Lee faces one count of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of illegal use of a weapon. Police said another suspect remained wanted Friday as investigators reviewed video, witness accounts and evidence from the busy mall.
The shooting was reported at about 1:22 p.m. Thursday in the food court area of the Mall of Louisiana on Bluebonnet Boulevard. Police said two groups got into an argument before people began shooting at each other. Martha Odom, 17, a senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, was killed. Five others were wounded. Morse said the victims appeared to be innocent bystanders and not part of the dispute. “The incident that transpired today is completely unacceptable,” Morse said after the shooting.
Authorities first said several people had been detained after officers swarmed the mall, locked down parts of the property and moved shoppers and workers out. By Friday, police said the people detained Thursday had been released as the investigation continued. Lee later surrendered. Police also released an image of another person they wanted to identify in connection with the shooting. Officials said more arrests were possible. The shooting left the mall closed while investigators worked through the scene and while store employees and customers described panic inside one of Baton Rouge’s largest shopping centers.
Odom was one of several Ascension Episcopal School students at the mall. School officials said two other seniors were recovering after being shot and two additional students were present but were not hit. The school remembered Odom as a joyful presence whose kindness and enthusiasm affected classmates, faculty and families. Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet said the Lafayette community was heartbroken by the violence. The school and local officials said their focus was on Odom’s family, the wounded students and the classmates who witnessed the shooting.
Witnesses described a sudden rush of gunfire and confusion in the food court. Signi Dreyer, who works at the carousel inside the mall, said she was cleaning when she heard shots and saw people drop to the ground. “At first, I thought someone was shooting fireworks in the food court,” Dreyer said. Other shoppers ran into nearby stores, hid behind gates or were escorted out by officers. Mayor-President Sid Edwards said officers, deputies, firefighters and paramedics entered a chaotic scene and worked quickly to secure the mall and care for the wounded.
The shooting drew a large response from Baton Rouge police, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, state police and federal agencies. Officials said a mall-assigned police officer and a sheriff’s deputy were already near the property when calls came in. Governor Jeff Landry said he was coordinating with law enforcement and later joined state and local officials for a public update. Police said there was no continuing public threat after the mall was secured, but investigators continued searching for everyone involved in the gunfire.
The shooting came days after another mass killing in Louisiana, adding urgency to Friday’s briefing by state and local leaders. Authorities said the Baton Rouge case was not random, but they also said bystanders were the ones hit when the argument turned into gunfire. Donnie Guillory, 43, remained hospitalized in critical condition Friday, officials said. Other wounded victims were being treated or recovering. Police did not immediately release all victim names or full medical updates.
The Mall of Louisiana said it was heartbroken and angered that the shopping center became the scene of the shooting. The mall said it was working with Baton Rouge police and would share reopening information when available. The property remained closed Friday as the investigation continued. Police asked people with photos, videos or firsthand information from inside the mall to provide them to investigators, saying that footage from shoppers and workers could help identify the remaining suspect and clarify the chain of events.
As of Friday afternoon, Lee remained jailed in East Baton Rouge Parish on murder and attempted murder counts, and police were still searching for another suspect. The next major step in the case is the continued review of mall video, witness statements and any court filings tied to Lee’s arrest.
Author note: Last updated April 24, 2026.