CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Two people were injured, and another is in custody after a shooting inside Northlake Mall Thursday, according to CMPD.
The incident happened around 3:00 p.m., and officials said the ‘situation is stable, and there is no active threat.’
Police said one victim was inside the store, the suspect followed, and a verbal exchange between them turned physical. That caused the suspect to pull a gun and shoot the person; another individual unrelated to the fight was also hit in the crossfire.
Multiple shots were fired.
“I heard the gunshots,” said a witness. “[People] were running towards me. It was just a crazy experience.”
Paramedics said they rushed both patients to the hospital with serious injuries. One person has since been released, and the other is being treated for now non-life-threatening injuries.
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“The mall staff decided while we were stabilizing the scene to ask patrons to leave the mall,” said Maj. Ryan Butler. “As far as the mall re-opening allowing people to come back in; their hours, that determination will be made by Northlake Mall.”
Northlake Mall released the following statement:
“Earlier this afternoon, Northlake Mall experienced an isolated shooter incident.
The authorities were immediately contacted, and the shooter was detained.
There is no threat at this time; however, the mall will remain closed for the remainder of today.
We are working with local authorities to better understand what transpired.”
The mall will open on Friday, but the individual stores can open or remain closed if they choose. Additionally, there will be a grief council on hand for mall employees.
An on-duty police officer at the mall located the suspect and de-escalated the situation, taking the suspect into custody without incident, police said.
A gun was recovered from the scene.
“We can’t illuminate every safety threat that’s out there. But by working together, we can mitigate the safety threats out there,” said Bulter. “I think that it shows that we are a community that cares about each other. We won’t tolerate this kind of behavior, and we want those who engage in this kind of behavior to be held accountable.”
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CMPD is not looking for additional suspects; the mall requested officers to walk through the mall, tell people about the situation, and alert them there wasn’t an ongoing threat.
