Seventeen-year-old Martha Odom was killed on April 23, 2026, at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge during a shooting that erupted in the food court. She was struck in the chest and died at the scene; five others were wounded. The shooting occurred during an unofficial senior skip day and investigators say it grew out of a dispute between two groups who had arranged to meet at the mall.

Martha was a senior at Ascension Episcopal School, captain of the girls soccer team, editor of the school newspaper, a prizewinning young writer who planned to study English and creative writing at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, and a dance teacher at a local studio. Her family described her as full of light, love and joy; they have created The Martha Odom Legacy of Joyful Grace in Motion fund in her memory.

Authorities identified one suspect, 17-year-old Markel Lee, who surrendered and was arrested on charges including first-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted first-degree murder; investigators say they are still searching for a second suspect and have asked the public for help. Did anyone at the mall that day see something that could help identify the other person involved?