Feb. 21 (UPI) — Three people were killed and two more were injured in a shootout at a New Orleans-area gun store and shooting range.
The shooting took place at 3 p.m. Saturday at Jefferson Gun Outlet in Metairie, La., after an “initial shooter” fired a weapon he brought into the building and struck two people, prompting others inside to fire their weapons, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said at a news conference.
Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich said two men and woman were killed. Lopinto said that the injuries to the other two victims were not thought to be critical.
The two people were pronounced dead at the scene and Capt. Jason Rivarde of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s office later said that the person suspected of being the initial shooter was also killed.
“It appears that several individuals ended up engaging that original suspect,” Lopinto said. “From what I understand I have multiple shooters here at this location that were either customers, employees or individuals here at the location itself.”
An initial investigation was exploring the potential that the initial shooter began arguing with store employees after they asked him to unload an extended magazine from a pistol he carried into the store.
A sheriff’s office spokesman, however, said it was too early to determine what led to the shootout.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tweeted that it was investigating the incident.
