Three students from Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette were among those injured during a mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.
"We are heartbroken by the senseless violence that happened today at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge," said Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet "The victims include three seniors from Ascension Episcopal School here in Lafayette. David and I are asking the Lafayette community to join us in holding all of these families close in prayer. I am very grateful for the first responders that acted quickly this afternoon and I’ve reached out to Baton Rouge Mayor-President, Sid Edwards, to offer Lafayette’s full support in whatever way we can assist as families in both cities begin to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy."
Other local schools are offering their support to Ascension Episcopal in the wake of this news, including Westminster Christian Academy in Lafayette, making this post to Facebook:
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Lafayette made a similar post to their Facebook page:
State officials have also spoken out about the incident. Governor Jeff Landry made a post calling for change and thanking those who responded quickly:
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill also put out a statement after news that the students were among those injured broke, asking the public for prayer and patience, saying "Sadly, initial reports that no bystanders were struck were incorrect. Several innocent individuals were, in fact, struck by gunfire. Please keep these victims and their families in your prayers. No one’s life should be at risk when simply going shopping at the mall. This remains an active investigation. I urge the public to be patient and allow law enforcement the time and space to do their jobs and gather all the facts."
