BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law on Monday expanding the state's definition of first-degree murder, a move in response to a deadly mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in April. 

The act, initially written by State Rep. Jeff Wiley, makes it so that first-degree murder includes murders committed while the offender is released on bail, on probation or under parole supervision, and when an offender uses a gun while being prohibited by law from having a gun. 

After the shooting at the Mall of Louisiana, I stood before you and promised change. We are delivering on that promise.

I signed Representative Wiley’s bill into law which allows the harshest penalties for those who bring gang violence into our public places.

Louisianans… pic.twitter.com/gMJTSJSZil

— Governor Jeff Landry (@LAGovJeffLandry) May 20, 2026

State Sen. Alan Seabaugh amended it to add that first-degree murder occurs when an offender "has specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm upon a victim who is in a public place and the offender knowingly creates a risk of death or great bodily harm to three or more persons."

According to the current Louisiana Statute RS 14:30, it is already considered first-degree murder when someone "has a specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm and the offender has previously acted with a specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm that resulted in the killing of one or more persons," with the proposed change to the law adding the public place distinction.

Seabaugh directly cited the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Martha Odom at the Mall of Louisiana on April 23, a shooting that also left five people injured, as the impetus behind his amendment.