Silke Jasso
An investigation is currently ongoing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following a targeted attack that wounded a total of 12 people early Sunday morning.
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Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul spoke to reporters late Sunday, saying that officers responded to a 911 call that reported gunshots inside the Dior Bar & Lounge ad around 1:36 that morning.
Three police officers were in the parking lot of the nightclub at that time of the incident, and “immediately responded to the threat.” “The officers were able to quickly secure the scene as well as administered life-saving aid until EMS and fire arrived to administer emergency medical services,” Paul continued.
Louisiana Nightclub Shooting
Homicide Commander Lieutenant Brian Ballard also noted that of the 12 injured, 9 suffered non-life threatening injuries, while three others suffered injuries that were “life-threatening in nature.”
“At this point, we can say that it is believed to be a targeted attack,” Ballard stated at the press conference. “This was not just a random act of someone showing up and randomly shooting citizens of Baton Rouge.”
“This was not a random act of violence,” Paul went on to add. “We believe this was a targeted event – that someone was specifically targeted and others were also injured in that process.”
According to Louisiana news channel WAFB, six of the victims were transported to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. Sunday afternoon, the hospital shared that three of the victims were in critical condition, while two others weren’t in good condition and one person had already been released.
“The shooting that happened overnight at a local venue was a senseless act of violence that will not go unchecked,” Baton Rouge mayor Sharon Weston Broome tweeted after the Tragic incident.
An investigation is still ongoing in order to find the exact number of perpetrators in the attack. Chief Paul also encouraged any residents or any witnesses to reach out to their local crisis helpline. “There is someone who knows something,” Paul said. “Do the right thing. You can save the next incident because it is obvious that this person has a total disregard for life.”
The Louisiana shooting comes just after 10 people were killed and 10 others were injured during a mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park California on Saturday. The 72-year-old suspect, Huu Can Tan, was found dead Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
