Three children were injured in a drive-by shooting Wednesday afternoon near the intersections of Swan and Kingfisher avenues.
Two children were critically injured and one was seriously injured following the shooting, according to WBRZ. All three were rushed to a pediatric hospital.
The ages of the children haven't been released, but police believe they were not the intended target.
Baton Rouge Police Chief Thomas Morse Jr. said the shooting occurred after 2 p.m. Wednesday, when one vehicle pulled alongside another. Police located a car that had been shot multiple times outside of Lofton Hair Care near Southern University's campus, according to WBRZ.
Morse said 20 to 30 shell casings were present at the scene of the shooting, showing the extent to which the car was struck.
"Our hearts are broken by the news that three young children were shot today during a targeted shooting on Swan Avenue in Scotlandville." said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome in a statement. "There are no words to express how much pain the choice of some adults to engage in this violence that injured innocent children has brought these children’s family members, their young friends, classmates and teachers, and our entire community."
No information on possible suspects has been released yet. The case is open and ongoing.
"Our Baton Rouge Police Department is working every lead in this case diligently, and we will not rest until any perpetrators of this violence are brought to justice," Broome continued in her statement, "We need your help as a community to share any information you believe may be helpful in solving this case. Certainly, we all want to see a safe holiday season that allows us to celebrate and not to mourn. And as a community we join our hearts together in that earnest prayer at this time.”