Teen Martha Odom identified as victim of Louisiana mall shooting: ‘She had the sweetest heart’

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA:  The person killed in the Mall of Louisiana shooting in Baton Rouge on Thursday, April 23, has been identified as a 17-year-old Lafayette student, Martha Odom. Odom was a dancer and a passionate writer who wished to study creative writing.

She was a senior at Ascension Episcopal School and was set to graduate in just three weeks. When the shooting erupted in the food court, she was in the mall for her "senior skip day.”

The fatal incident occurred when a pair of individuals started firing at each other inside the mall around 2 pm. Odom was caught in the crossfire and was shot in the chest. Later, she succumbed to her injury.

Besides Odom, five others sustained life-threatening wounds. According to a report by Fox 8, out of the six victims, at least three are students of Ascension Episcopal School, including Odom.

Ascension Episcopal School remembers Martha Odom as a 'joyful presence'

Expressing their sorrow and condolences to the bereaved family, a spokesperson said that the school was heartbroken by the news.  

“Today, our hearts are heavy. We grieve the loss of one of our seniors, Martha Odom, following yesterday’s off-campus tragedy,” the school said in a statement on Friday. The school remembered her as somebody who would bring light “to all who knew her.”

“A joyful presence whose kindness and infectious enthusiasm brought light to all who knew her. We ask our community to join us in holding our school in prayer during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement said.

“Out of deep respect for the families and the sensitivity of this situation, we will not be sharing additional details at this time. Our priority is the care of our students and school family,” it added. 

Who was Martha Odom?

A student only weeks away from her graduation, Martha Odom, visited the mall with friends on “senior skip day.” She intended to attend the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, to study creative writing and English.

Odom worked as an editor of the student newspaper because she had a great interest in writing. Her work in the student newspaper focused on music, especially Taylor Swift.

The 17-year-old expressed her desire to work in the student newspaper after being accepted for Ballet Austin's Summer Intensive program. She wished to work in the newspaper to "make new friends and see some familiar faces while I train in the timeless art of dance."

Just one week before she was killed in crossfire, she wrote a piece in the student newspaper about her travel experience to New York City with her family and her late-night visit to Raising Cane's in Times Square.

John Kennedy says Martha Odom's life should never have been cut short by 'senseless violence'

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Louisiana Sen John Kennedy wrote a condolence post, stating that he and his wife, Becky Kennedy, were heartbroken over Martha Odom's death.

“Becky and I are heartbroken over the devastating loss of Martha Odom. Martha was a 17-year-old high school student beloved by all who knew her. Her life should never have been cut short by the senseless violence we saw at the Mall of Louisiana," he wrote. 

“Our prayers are with her family, friends, and community—and all those injured in this tragedy,” he concluded. 

Martha Odom's friend says she 'had the sweetest heart'

Martha Odom’s friend, Ella Sims, wrote a condolence post on Facebook stating that it was the worst news she received. Sims also highlighted that Odom always wanted the best for everyone, “she had the sweetest heart.”

“Martha was kind, selfless, compassionate, funny, and the best girls state roommate ever. She was friends with everyone and always made others feel included. Once she came into your life you just couldn’t let her out,” Sims wrote in the Facebook post.

Further talking about how their friendship looked, she shared, “We would stay up late at girls state just talking about life, the Lord, and sharing stories. She had the sweetest heart and truly wanted the best for everyone.”