Police said no injuries were reported after gunfire broke out Friday at the Creswell Lane store.
OPELOUSAS, LA — Four juveniles were taken into custody Friday after shots were fired inside the Walmart Supercenter on Creswell Lane in Opelousas, police said, sending shoppers and workers out of the store as officers secured the scene.
The shooting drew a large law enforcement response to one of the city’s busiest retail areas and led Walmart to close while investigators processed evidence. Police said no injuries were reported. The case moved quickly through several updates Friday, from an active scene with two people detained to four juveniles in custody by the evening.
Officers responded Friday afternoon to the Walmart at 1629 Creswell Lane after reports of gunfire inside the store. Early accounts from the scene described shoppers and employees rushing outside while police units filled the parking lot. Officials said the scene was secure by about 4:15 p.m., though investigators remained at the store. “No injuries were reported,” police said in an early update through local media. By 4:43 p.m., authorities said two people were in custody and the store remained an active crime scene.
Police later said the shots were fired inside a restroom at the store. Investigators believed more people had been involved and may have left before officers arrived. By Friday evening, officials said a fourth suspect had been taken into custody. Two of the juveniles were later identified by age as a 13-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy. Authorities did not publicly identify the juveniles because of their ages. The names and ages of the other two juveniles were not released in the first wave of reports.
Officials said the gunfire was connected to what investigators described as a gun swap. Police did not release a full account of how the firearm was brought into the store, who fired it or how many shots were fired. No victim was reported, and police did not say that any shopper, employee or officer was struck. Local reports said the sound of gunfire caused panic inside the store, with people leaving quickly as officers moved in and secured the building.
The Walmart on Creswell Lane was temporarily closed while officers gathered evidence and worked to determine what happened before the shots were fired. Police did not say when normal store operations would resume. The location sits along a commercial corridor in Opelousas, a St. Landry Parish city where major stores draw shoppers from surrounding communities. The incident added to public concern because it unfolded inside a crowded retail space rather than on a street or in a private setting.
Two of the juveniles were reported to be facing weapons-related charges after the investigation moved past the initial response. Police did not immediately release a full list of charges for all four juveniles, and it was not clear Friday night whether more charges would follow. Because the suspects are juveniles, any court proceedings would likely move through the juvenile justice system unless prosecutors seek a different path. Authorities also did not say whether any adults were being investigated in connection with the firearm.
Witnesses described a fast-moving scene, with shoppers and workers gathering outside as officers arrived. Photos and videos from the area showed a heavy police presence around the store and in the parking lot. Police Chief Graig LeBlanc said in an evening update that the fourth suspect was in custody, marking a shift from the earlier search for others believed to have been involved. Investigators continued reviewing evidence from inside the store and statements from people who were there.
The case stood Friday night with four juveniles in custody, no reported injuries and the investigation still open. Police had not released the full charging details or a complete timeline of the restroom shooting as of the latest updates.
Author note: Last updated Saturday, May 23, 2026.