COLUMBIA, SC (AP) – Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a shooting at a busy shopping center in the South Carolina capital on Saturday, in which 14 people were injured.
Colombia Police Chief WH “Skip” Holbrooke said 22-year-old Jewey M. Price, who was one of three people initially detained by law enforcement as a person of interest, remains in police custody and is expected to be charged with illegal carrying of a pistol.
It is not immediately clear whether Price has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
Fourteen people were injured in the shooting at the Columbiana Center, Holbrooke said in a press release Saturday. The victims are between 15 and 73 years old.
Holbrooke said no deaths had been reported, but that nine people had been shot and five injured in an attempt to escape the safety mall.
Police say the 73-year-old victim continues to receive medical treatment, but other victims have been released from local hospitals or will be released soon.
“We don’t believe it’s a coincidence,” Holbrooke said. “We believe they know each other and something led to the shooting.
Investigators believe at least three suspects showed firearms at the mall, but are working to determine how many suspects fired. Police said at least one firearm was seized.
Daniel Johnson said he and his family were visiting Alabama and eating at restaurants when they first heard gunshots and began to see people running.
Johnson said people were shouting about their children and husbands, knocking down tables in restaurants as they fled.
“Everyone was trying to get out,” Johnson said. “When I went out, you could see inverted prams, people’s phones and left keys. It was kind of a hasty situation. “
Johnson said he gathered his wife, daughter and son and headed for the exit after letting the crowd dissipate for a while.
“My biggest thing was – and not to sound selfish – to make sure that our family is well and to take them out safely, because this is not something we like to do for Easter weekend.
The increased police presence continued in the area hours after the shooting, although officers began to miss more traffic on the streets around shopping malls and shopping malls, which are usually full on weekends. Officers were also stationed in front of a nearby hotel designated as a gathering place for people at the scene of the shooting and their families.
Workers from several stores remained huddled in an almost empty parking lot on Saturday night, waiting for police to let them in to pick up their car keys and personal belongings so they could leave. They said they did not hear or see anything during the shooting, but followed the mall’s warning system and were evacuated by police shortly afterwards. They declined to give names, citing company policy.
“Today’s isolated, senseless act of violence is extremely upsetting and everyone’s thoughts are affected,” the Columbiana Center said in a statement. “We are grateful for the prompt response and continued support of our security team and our law enforcement partners.
The shooting is the latest in a series of shootings in or near malls across the country.
A 15-year-old boy was shot in the head on Wednesday in front of the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. His injuries are not considered life-threatening. Officials said he was with a group of boys when they got into an argument with a second group.
On Tuesday, the owner of a shoe store in Southern California accidentally shot a 9-year-old girl while shooting two thieves at the Mall of Victor Valley, police said.
Earlier this month, police said six people were killed and 12 others injured in Sacramento, California, during a shootout between rival gangs as bars closed in a busy area near Downtown Commons and the Capitol. the state.
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