Gunmen in stolen car shoot two IHOP workers on their smoke break, Louisiana cops say

When two IHOP workers stepped outside for a smoke break around noon Tuesday, masked gunmen jumped out of a stolen car and opened fire, Louisiana police said.

One of the employees died at a nearby hospital, and the other is in stable condition, Baton Rouge police said, according to WBRZ.

The man who died has been identified as Courtney Whitfield, 31, a work release inmate from East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, outlets reported. Among his recent convictions was an assault with a firearm charge in 2019.

The shooters sped away from the scene and are still at large.

Authorities found the car they were driving within a few miles of the restaurant, abandoned and engulfed in flames, the station reported. It had been reported stolen earlier in a nearby parish.

A manhunt is underway and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help finding the two suspects. They covered their faces with red and white bandanas, WAFB reported, and one wore red pants.

Investigators have not identified a motive for the shooting as of Tuesday afternoon.

Workers at the strip mall by the IHOP told The Advocate they could see and hear the gunfire, and described customers and employees huddling together behind cover.

“I thought I was gonna die. We all did,” Tabatha Sanchez, who works at an eyeglasses store, said. “It was panicked and chaotic. My heart is still beating from it.”

This story was originally published May 25, 2021 at 5:06 PM with the headline "Gunmen in stolen car shoot two IHOP workers on their smoke break, Louisiana cops say."