3 dead, 2 injured after shooting inside Louisiana gun store, officials say

The suspect is among the deceased, police said.

February 20, 2021, 7:56 PM

Three people are dead and another two injured after a shooting inside a gun store in Louisiana, authorities said.

The deadly shootout occurred just before 3 p.m. local time Saturday at the Jefferson Gun Outlet in Metairie, located in the New Orleans metropolitan area.

One suspect shot and killed two victims in the store, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto. Multiple people then opened fire on the suspect either in the store or the parking lot, killing the suspect, Lopinto said.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene.

PHOTO: Three people were killed, including the gunman, after a shooting outside Jefferson Gun Outlet in Metairie, La., on Feb. 20, 2021.
Three people were killed, including the gunman, after a shooting outside Jefferson Gun Outlet in Metairie, La., on Feb. 20, 2021.
WGNO/NewsNation

Two other people hit by the gunfire were transported to a local hospital, where they are in stable condition, authorities said.

It is unclear if those who opened fire were employees or customers of the outlet, the sheriff's office said.

Authorities said they need time to determine what exactly happened during the multi-shooter incident.

"We are trying to put it all together and piece it together from what we have in this developing scene," Lopinto said Saturday at a press briefing outside the store.

Bullet holes could be seen in the window of the gun store and in cars in the parking lot in the hours after the shooting, according to footage from New Orleans ABC affiliate WGNO.

PHOTO: Bullet holes are seen in the front windshield of a car parked at Jefferson Gun Shop in Metairie, La., where three people were killed on Feb. 20, 2021.
Bullet holes are seen in the front windshield of a car parked at Jefferson Gun Shop in Metairie, La., where three people were killed on Feb. 20, 2021.
WGNO/NewsNation

ABC News got a busy signal on multiple calls to the Jefferson Gun Outlet. The store specializes in most firearms brands, new and used, as well as safety equipment, holsters and more, according to its website.

ABC News' Joshua Hoyos and Matt Foster contributed to this report.

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