Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill confirmed that an individual is in custody in downtown Baton Rouge following reports of an active shooter situation near her office on Wednesday afternoon.
“There is not an active shooter in or around the Livingston Building,” Murrill stated in a social media update. “The situation is under control.”
A law enforcement source informed local news outlet WBRZ that a man, armed with a long gun and multiple ammunition magazines, was apprehended after being spotted loitering outside the building while searching for the attorney general’s office. This prompted a lockdown of the facility.
The Livingston Building, located in downtown Baton Rouge, houses several state agencies, including the attorney general’s office. Murrill, a Republican, was first elected in 2023 and assumed office in January 2024, having previously served as Louisiana’s solicitor general.
In a follow-up statement, Murrill noted that her office had “received secondhand information indicating that an individual, possibly experiencing emotional distress, was en route to the Attorney General’s Office and was believed to be carrying a rifle.”
The man was located near the State Capitol and “was very cooperative and just wanted to speak to agents about a situation and to file a complaint,” Murrill explained. He legally possessed the firearm, which was found in his vehicle.
He was released without charges. During the lockdown, an individual claiming to be an employee inside the building reported via social media that an active shooter had entered the Livingston Building, a claim that was swiftly addressed by the attorney general.
