BATON ROUGE - A man is in police custody after he was shot in the leg when gunfire was exchanged during an attempted armed robbery in a North Acadian Thruway parking lot.

17-year-old Ja’Andrea Sherman was booked into the parish prison on charges of attempted armed robbery and attempted first degree murder after his release from a Baton Rouge hospital.

Police said Sherman approached the victim in the parking lot of Acadian Food Mart on Monday at around 9 a.m. and pulled out a silver handgun. When Sherman pulled his gun, police said the victim produced a semi-automatic pistol of his own and shot Sherman in the left leg.

Investigators said Sherman then returned fire, striking the victim in his stomach. Sherman and the victim then ran in opposite directions looking for help.

Both men were taken to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center to be treated for the wounds. Surgery was performed on the victim, and the man is now listed in stable condition.

Detectives interviewed Sherman while he was still at the hospital. He told them he was “in a bad place needing money” when he saw the victim walk past him in the parking lot.