Woman fires gun inside beauty store after employee confronts her over stolen wig

BATON ROUGE – Police are searching for a woman who fired a gun inside a store after she was confronted by staff for shoplifting and then proceeded to rob the business.

The Baton Rouge Police Department said the confrontation happened Friday afternoon at a beauty supply store on Airline Highway. The store’s owner said he approached the woman after he saw her stealing a wig.

Surveillance video showed the woman rummaging through her purse after he confronted her about the wig. The shoplifter then draws a handgun, fires a shot into the ceiling and points the gun at the owner, who runs toward the back of the store.

The woman is then seen grabbing more wigs before turning to an employee at the front register. The robber fled after the owner, who retrieved his own gun from the back, fired a single shot into the ground. 

The department said the woman was last seen driving off in a dark-colored vehicle. 

Anyone with information on the suspect’s identity or whereabouts is asked to contact authorities at 225-344-7867.