1 IHOP employee was killed and 1 was injured in the Siegen Lane shooting; a stolen car was discovered on fire nearby.
The scene was unremarkable: two IHOP employees were taking a smoke break around noon Tuesday, standing just outside the restaurant’s backdoor on Siegen Lane, a busy shopping center on a major Baton Rouge thoroughfare.
That all changed when two masked men pulled up in a stolen car, jumped out, and began shooting, officials said, leaving one of the IHOP employees collapsed on the ground and the other fleeing for help.
The first victim was rushed to the hospital by ambulance but died shortly afterwards. According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating the shooting, the second victim is in stable condition.
In a nearby subdivision, the suspects’ car was discovered on fire.
Multiple patrol cars and a helicopter were combing the area in search of the suspects.
Deputies were investigating what appeared to be a kitchen door. In the grass, an overturned chair sat surrounded by evidence markers.
A security guard for the shopping center where the IHOP is located stated that he was immediately put to work following the shooting. He explained that his day is not typical — he mostly deals with panhandlers in the parking lot and other minor issues.
