The shooting that caused chaos at the Christiana Mall on Saturday evening began as an altercation between four men and then escalated into a melee, resulting in three people shot, one accidentally, Delaware State Police said.
Troopers were called to the mall’s food court entrance about 6:45 p.m. after receiving reports of the shooting. The gunfire caused shoppers to flee in droves.
What do we know about the shooters and the victims?
Through their investigation, police learned that three men, whom they still have not identified, confronted an 18-year-old man as he was leaving the food court. The men began physically attacking the victim, police said.
The victim’s two friends quickly jumped in to help, which is when one of the suspects pulled a gun from his waist and began shooting. The 18-year-old and his 16-year-old friend were both hit by three rounds “in the torso and the lower extremities,” police said.
WHAT WE KNOW:Christiana Mall shooting: What we know about the gunfire that left 3 injured Saturday
A third man, an 18-year-old who was standing on the sidewalk outside of the mall, was also hit by one round “in the lower extremity.” All three were taken to a local hospital, where they were listed as “stable.”
Police said the suspects are three males in their late teens. They were wearing all dark clothing during the shooting, police said.
Community gathers in prayer near mall food court
Local gun violence prevention activists were gathering Monday afternoon in the wake of Saturday evening’s shooting that left three people with bullet wounds and several others injured.
The gathering, organized by Margaret Guy − who heads the nonprofit Stop the Violence Prayer Chain − was slated for 3 p.m. Attendees were meeting in the parking lot by Mall Road and then walking toward the food court area from there.
TEEN SPEAKS:‘I didn’t want to die. I wasn’t ready’: Teen details escape from Christiana Mall shooting
Mall-goers recount fears
Those present at the mall during the shooting on Saturday said the incident was terrifying.
One girl, 13-year-old Penny, was with her younger sister, Lily, her brother, Andy and a family friend while their parents had a date night in Pennsylvania.
Penny, who called her mom after the shots rang out, said she thought she was going to die.
Her mother said the call was “the scariest thing I ever had to listen to.”
MALL-GOERS SPEAK:Christiana Mall shooting: What we know about the gunfire that left 3 injured Saturday
Others who were at the mall that evening shared similar sentiments in social media posts and outside the mall Saturday night.
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