Louisiana bill expands first-degree murder charges and death penalty eligibility after mall shooting

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News host Will Cain has the latest on the incident on 'The Will Cain Show.' A Louisiana bill expanded after a deadly mall shooting would broaden first-degree murder charges and potentially increase death penalty eligibility, and lawmakers cited the attack as justification for toughening the state’s homicide laws. House Bill 102 was originally introduced to create a new crime targeting abuse or neglect that seriously harms elderly or vulnerable people. But the proposal evolved significantly as it moved through the state legislature. Lawmakers added provisions tying the new offense to existing murder laws, meaning a death during such abuse could be charged as murder. SHOOTING AT MARDI GRAS PARADE IN LOUISIANA LEAVES 5 WOUNDED, SUSPECT IN CUSTODY POLICE SAY Police cars are parked outside the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge April 23 after a shooting