Walmart shooting in Louisiana: Fight leads to gunfire, bystander shot
An altercation that escalated to gunfire caused panic inside a Walmart Tuesday.
East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux says a 911 call reporting a “possible active shooter” at the Walmart on Burbank Drive came in just before noon. A massive law enforcement presence, including sheriff’s deputies, Baton Rouge Police and Louisiana State Police, was spotted outside the store. Officers were also dispatched to other Walmarts in the Baton Rouge area.
The store was immediately evacuated after witnesses reported hearing several shots inside.
The sheriff says the incident is not being considered an active shooting situation at this time but instead stemmed from an altercation between two people inside the store. The fight led to guns being drawn and an innocent bystander being struck twice while standing in line.
The sheriff said one person was taken into custody and a second is being sought. The second subject reportedly fled the area in a light-colored sedan.
Authorities say one person was taken to a hospital before EMS arrived. No further injuries have been reported at this time.
Though the situation turned out to be less dire than first thought, the sheriff said he was glad to see his deputies were prepared.
“We constantly train for it. We do it year-round with active shooter response and everybody knows what their roles are,” Sheriff Gautreaux said. “This to me showed that all the training that we’ve done with other agencies, fire department, EMS, other law enforcement agencies, is working.”
