BATON ROUGE - An East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputy was shot and killed in the line of duty late Saturday.  

The shooting happened at a business in a strip mall near the movie theater on O'Neal Lane at I-12.  Sgt. Shawn Anderson, 43, was responding to a rape investigation when he struggled with the shooter and was shot.  .

Anderson was taken to a hospital across the street.  Despite efforts of the medical team, his injuries were fatal.  Family gathered at the hospital and other East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputies stood at attention, saluting the deputy as his body was taken away from the medical center a few hours after the shooting. 

The gunman was shot in the altercation, too.  As of this update, the gunman was being cared for at a separate area hospital.  Their name has not been released  but a source said the man is a felon with arrests for attempted murder and sexually abusing a child.  

At the scene, a large contingent of deputies gathered among investigators.  Also there late Saturday and early Sunday morning were the mayor, chief of police and district attorney.

"We are focused on working with the family, praying for the family and making sure our deputies have the help and support they need," the sheriff's spokesperson, Casey Rayborn Hicks, said.  

"This is certainly a tragedy for the community," EBR Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said.

The shooting happened around 11 p.m. Saturday, some 12 hours after families of officers killed in an ambush in Baton Rouge this summer were honored at a parade in the city.

State Police will handle the investigation going forward. 

Click HERE to read more about the fallen deputy. 

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