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.​
