The Scoop

(WATCH) Chaos Erupts In North Carolina Mall After Three People Shot (VIDEO)

By • November 27, 2021 12:20 pm

Following a shooting on the second floor of a North Carolina mall on Black Friday, chaos ensued as the entire vicinity was evacuated.

Three individuals were shot in the Southpoint Mall in Durham, North Carolina, according to ABC News. The shooting occurred about 3:23 p.m.

“The shooting victims included a 10-year-old who suffered a bullet ricochet injury that appears to be non-life-threatening, police said. The conditions of the other two shooting victims are unknown,” the outlet reported. “Additionally, three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries while evacuating the mall, police said.”

In response to the event, the Durham Police Department (DPD) issued the following statement on Twitter:

“DPD is investigating a shooting incident at The Streets at Southpoint. The mall is being evacuated and will be closed while DPD investigates the incident. Motorists are advised to avoid the area. There is no further threat at the mall.”

Another report from the DPD stated that one individual has been taken into custody, but that others who were involved in the shooting are still on the run. The police department went on to say that the individuals involved appeared to know one another and that this “did not appear to be a random incident.”

More information from ABC:

Shoppers recounted people running and screaming after hearing multiple gunshots.
“There were people being trampled, going up and down the escalator,” Aleaha Marr, who was shopping with a friend at the mall at the time of the shooting, told ABC Raleigh station WTVD.

“I’ll never come back to this mall again. I know that much,” she told the station. “The holidays, people should be happy for what they have. You shouldn’t be worrying about other people shooting other people.”

According to an article in The Washington Post, killings are on the rise in major cities, and gun violence occurrences have increased in Durham this year, among other places. According to the article:

Homicides rose in 29 major U.S. cities through September compared with the same period last year, according to the Council on Criminal Justice, a Washington-based institute. Killings across the country spiked nearly 30 percent in 2020, the FBI has said.

According to data from Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection and research group, Durham has seen 154 gun violence incidents this year as of Friday evening — leaving 39 dead and 140 people injured. Last year, 36 people died and 152 were wounded in the 156 recorded incidents.

According to Reuters, a security guard in Kennewick, Washington, shot and killed a man who was suspected of attempting a robbery.

“The shooting occurred when the suspect, confronted as he was leaving the store, pointed a gun at the officer. The officer then drew his weapon and opened fire at the suspect, who fled the scene but was arrested at a nearby home, according to police,” Reuters reported.

“The suspect, taken to an area hospital for treatment of his wounds, was already wanted on nine outstanding warrants and now faces additional robbery and assault charges, police said in a statement. No one else was injured at the Walmart. Local media reported the shooting stirred panic at the discount store, which was evacuated and closed immediately after the incident but reopened hours later.”

Stay tuned to The Scoop for any updates.

 

Paul Aubert


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