Sheriff: 3 dead in gun store shooting in New Orleans suburb

METAIRIE, La. (AP) - A suspect fatally shot two people at a gun store in a suburb of New Orleans on Saturday afternoon, and the shooter also died during gunfire as others engaged the suspect both inside and outside the outlet, authorities said.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said a person he described as the initial shooter fired inside the Jefferson Gun Outlet in the suburb of Metairie, striking the two people who were later pronounced dead.

He said several other people - whether employees or store customers - then opened fire on the shooter, both inside and outside of the building. The suspect also was killed, according to Lopinto. He added that two other people were wounded and have been hospitalized in stable condition.

Guns and ammunition are sold in the front of the outlet that faces a main thoroughfare through Jefferson Parish. Customers who want to frequent the gun range generally go around to the side entrance of the building. Staff who work there often wear a sidearm.

Lopinto said two other people were also hit by gunfire and were hospitalized in stable condition. He said there were multiple shooters in all and investigators had just begun trying to piece together what happened.

“We’re trying to put it all together, piece it together,” the sheriff said.

None of the dead or wounded were immediately identified and details remained sketchy. Lopinto said the investigation was continuing as authorities tried to determined the exact details of what happened.

Caution tape surrounded the business to keep onlookers from getting close to the scene, where ambulances and numerous law enforcement vehicles had arrived earlier.

This story has been updated to correct the name of the store to the Jefferson Gun Outlet.