Chief says hit-and-run that killed one, injured two other children missed its intended target

BATON ROUGE – One child died and two other children were taken to a pediatric hospital after being shot in a drive-by attack that missed its target Wednesday afternoon.

Initially, two of the children were critically injured and one child suffered serious injuries, officials said. Later one died and no information was given other than that the child was a boy.

– I hope people are as mad as I am, Baton Rouge Police Chief TJ Morse told WBRZ.

Morse said around 2:20 p.m., a car pulled up next to another vehicle at the corner of Swan and Kingfisher Avenue. Officers found a vehicle shot multiple times outside of Lofton Hair Care just off Southern University’s campus.

“There’s 20 to 30 shells on the street — that’s about how many times this car was hit,” Morse said.

Morse said three young children who were in the car were shot. Police would not say how old they are, but said they were not the intended target.

“As you can see, innocent people are getting hurt, they’re getting hurt. They’re not getting people they want,” Morse said.

Mayor President Sharon Weston Broome sent the following statement:

“Our hearts are broken by the news that three young children were shot today in a targeted shooting on Swan Avenue in Scotlandville. We understand that all three children were transported to a local hospital and we join our hearts together as a community and pray for each of these young people and their families. There are no words to express how much pain the choice of some adults to engage in this violence has caused to these children’s family members, their young friends, classmates and our entire community.You each remain in our prayers.Our Baton Rouge Police Department is working diligently on this case and we will not rest until any perpetrators of this violence are brought to justice need your help as a community to share any information that you think may be helpful in solving this case.We certainly all want to see a safe holiday season that allows us to celebrate and not mourn. And as a community, we join our hearts together in earnest prayer at this time.”

EBR Schools Superintendent LaMont Cole issued a statement “(extending) prayers and deepest condolences to the families and friends affected by this senseless act.” He said the community needed to “come together and fight the violence that continues to threaten our youth.”