A teen who was killed throughout a mass capturing at a Louisiana mall was having fun with “senior skip day” and had simply returned house from a spring break journey to New York Metropolis days earlier than the tragedy — as a suspect was arrested.
Martha Odom, 17, was celebrating the ultimate weeks of highschool earlier than commencement with two of her buddies when she was tragically caught within the crossfire of two feuding teams contained in the meals courtroom on the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge on Thursday, officers revealed.
“We grieve the lack of one in all our seniors, Martha Odom, following yesterday’s off-campus tragedy,” Ascension Episcopal College in Lafayette mentioned Friday. “We proceed to elevate in prayer the 2 college students who’re therapeutic, in addition to the 2 further college students who have been current.
Odom died from a gunshot wound to the chest, the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Workplace introduced.
Officers dominated her loss of life a murder. 5 others have been wounded, together with Odom’s two classmates.
Odom had boasted about her spring break journey to the Massive Apple precisely one week earlier than she was killed, in keeping with NOLA.
The senior, who was an editor for the scholar newspaper The Authored Ascencion, shared an in depth recap of her journey to Manhattan.
“This spring break was one to recollect for my household as we took a much-anticipated journey to New York Metropolis! This go to was the senior journey I picked for my household,” Odom wrote within the April 16 article. “The steadiness of metropolis bustle and blooming spring flowers is unmatched, and I’m so blessed to have been capable of go to throughout this time of yr!”
Odom’s jam-packed sightseeing week tour included stops at Elevating Cane’s in Occasions Sq. together with her sister, dinner at Carmine’s restaurant, the Easter Bonnet Competition, watching a Rangers recreation at Madison Sq. Backyard and a number of Broadway reveals, together with stops at famed vacationer sights.
Odom, who was anticipated to attend the College of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., within the fall, was a captain of her faculty’s ladies’ soccer staff, an avid lover of the humanities and a dancer educating 5 and 6-year-olds at her native ballet heart, in keeping with her creator profile.
“Our hearts are shattered. We misplaced one in all our personal. Our lovely dancer, Martha Odom,” The Ballet Studio wrote on Fb. “A brilliant gentle — fearless, joyful, energetic. The form of soul that fills a room with out even making an attempt.
“Our studio feels completely different right this moment. Quieter. Heavier. As if a bit of us is lacking… as a result of it’s,” the studio mentioned.
Sen. John Kennedy (R. La.) slammed the violence that led to Odom’s loss of life.
“Becky and I are heartbroken over the devastating lack of Martha Odom,” Kennedy wrote on Fb.
“Martha was a 17-year-old highschool scholar beloved by all who knew her. Her life ought to by no means have been lower brief by the mindless violence we noticed on the Mall of Louisiana. Our prayers are together with her household, buddies, and neighborhood—and all these injured on this tragedy.”
Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet mentioned her “coronary heart dropped” after studying of Odom’s loss of life.
“Martha Odom was only a actually nice, hardworking younger lady. Prepared for some nice issues in life, and so it’s tragic, and it’s unhappy,” Boulet mentioned, in keeping with WAFB. “Children with weapons isn’t a good suggestion until it’s in a blind looking geese. Youngsters… , it’s robust.”
On Friday, Markel Lee, 17, turned himself over to police for his involvement within the capturing, the Baton Rouge Police Division introduced.
The alleged gunman was charged with first-degree homicide, 5 counts of tried homicide and one rely of unlawful use of a weapon.
He’s being held in East Baton Rouge Jail with out bond, in keeping with inmate information seen by The Submit.
Police additionally shared a photograph of one other individual “related to the capturing.”
The unidentified particular person captured on safety cameras contained in the mall seems to be a black male carrying a blue hoodie.
