BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana police have arrested two people for a mass shooting that left 12 others wounded at a Baton Rouge nightclub in January.
Nikeal Franklin, 19, and Jy’Shaun Jackson, 19, were arrested Friday. Franklin was charged with 12 counts of attempted first-degree murder while Jackson was charged with 12 counts of principal to attempted first-degree murder, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.
The mass shooting occurred about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 22 at the Dior Bar & Lounge in Baton Rouge. A dozen people were injured by gunfire, with three in critical condition following the hail of bullets, but their conditions later improved. Other received non-life-threatening wounds, the New York Post reported.
Police spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely Jr. said the shooting was a “targeted” attack as investigators began to discover evidence about the suspects and victims. Specifically, one partygoer was the target, yet so many others suffered injuries from the reckless violence.
Prior to the shooting, the nightclub advertised a Louisiana State University and Southern University-themed party as the two schools launched new semesters.
However, spokespeople for both universities told The Advocate that the event at the Baton Rouge club that evening was not affiliated with either school.
Meanwhile, law enforcement authorities said the investigation remained ongoing and did not provide any specific details beyond an announcement of the arrests.
