Martha Elizabeth Odom, a 17-year-old high school senior, was identified as the victim killed in the Mall of Louisiana shooting in Baton Rouge. She was among three students from Ascension Episcopal School caught in the crossfire during an argument between two groups in the mall's food court on April 23.
Odom was only a few weeks away from graduating and had plans to attend the University of the South in Tennessee to study creative writing and English. She was a talented writer and editor, and her school community remembered her as a 'joyful presence' with a 'kindness and infectious enthusiasm'.
Her school shared a statement expressing grief and condolences, praising Odom's spirit and the impact she had on those around her. The incident has left the school community reeling, with several students affected by the tragedy.
