Shooting at Louisiana mall leaves at least one dead and five wounded

At least one person is dead and five people are wounded in a shooting in Louisiana. The event occurred early Thursday afternoon in the food court of a shopping center in Baton Rouge, the state capital. Five people were arrested, authorities said. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry expressed his condolences to the victims of the shooting and thanked law enforcement for their work.

The situation began when two groups of people got into an argument in the middle of the crowd. The situation escalated quickly and led to a shooting.

Louisiana State Police, the Baton Rouge Police Department and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office responded to the scene. After officers helped clear and secure the area, the mall remained closed for several hours as a precaution.

"Two groups of people got into an argument inside the food court and started shooting at each other (...) Keep these families in your prayers, especially the deceased victim," Thomas Morse Jr., Baton Rouge police chief, stated. The official remarked that, while there is no longer a danger to the public, the investigation remains open and the search for other possible participants continues.

Baton Rouge Mayor Sid Edwards also highlighted the actions of law enforcement: "This is what response time is supposed to look like. These are champions, and lives are actually saved from this. If you're going to act like this in Baton Rouge, and you're going to do these things, you're going to be caught."

Of the five injured, one was undergoing surgery and four had minor injuries. All were rushed to medical attention.

The incident took place just over 150 miles from the city of Shreveport, where eight children and two women were killed in another shooting.