Landrick Ruffin Jr., 27, faces six counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of illegal use of a weapon after allegedly shooting at a Chevrolet SUV carrying six people, including a 2-year-old girl struck in the head, during a pursuit over a stolen vehicle in Baton Rouge on New Year’s Eve 2025. The incident began when the child’s mother spotted her relative’s stolen car near a McDonald’s on Harding Boulevard, followed it to 79th Avenue and Pembroke Street, and Ruffin exited to fire multiple shots. She drove to Baton Rouge Police District’s 4 headquarters, where EMS rushed the toddler to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital; she remains in critical condition with no recent updates available as of early January 2026.
Incident Details
The shooting occurred around 2:45-3 p.m. on December 31, 2025, near 79th Avenue after the mother chased the suspect for a couple of blocks. Police confirmed the pursued vehicle was stolen, and Ruffin was driving it; charges could upgrade to murder if the child dies. Initially, police mistakenly reported the child had died but corrected to critical condition.
Arrest and Charges
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrested Ruffin during a traffic stop on January 1, 2026, recovering the stolen vehicle. He remains in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison awaiting a bond hearing scheduled for January 6, 2026, with no results reported yet. Ruffin has priors including illegal weapon possession, resisting arrest, and narcotics distribution.
Community Response
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards condemned the shooting as “completely unacceptable,” urging prayers for the child and family. Local residents, including a mother who lost her son to gun violence in 2022, expressed grief and called for community support amid recurring gun incidents.
