Mothers pushed strollers through the Blue Zoo Aquarium at the Mall of Louisiana early on the afternoon of April 23, cruising their children through the dark rooms, illuminated by the lights of tanks filled with aquatic creatures.
Around 1:23 p.m., two groups opened fire following an altercation in the mall food court upstairs, killing one teen from Lafayette and injuring five, sparking a chaotic scene as shoppers fled to safety. Blue Zoo Aquarium manager Garrett Callender recalls his staff ushering all guests out of the aquarium within a minute.
Ever since the tragedy, the aquarium has not been the same, he said, with revenue this quarter down more than half from the previous one…