- Glendale, AZ
Three people were shot at an outdoor mall in Arizona on Wednesday night, and one suspect was taken into custody, police said.
One victim was in critical condition, while the other two have non-life-threatening injuries, police said. All are expected to survive.
Officials said the incident took place just before 7:25 p.m. local time at the Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale, just outside Phoenix.
When police arrived at the mall, the scene was no longer active, according to Tiffany Ngalula, a Glendale Police Department public information officer.
Officers said they found the suspect and took him into custody without further incident. He was identified by police as 20-year-old Armando Hernandez Jr.
Ngalula said surrounding businesses had been asked to shelter-in-place so authorities could check for additional victims, witnesses or "any other safety issues." Police said they do not believe there are any additional suspects.
"Our hearts and prayers are with the individuals and families impacted tonight, as well as the first responders and police officers who are on the scene," Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in a statement Wednesday. "The state is here to continue to offer its full support to the victims and to the community."
There is no known motive at this time. Authorities also said they are aware of reports of disturbing social media videos from the alleged shooter and ask the public to submit them for evidence.
"We are thankful that this was not a larger scale tragedy," Ngalula said at a media briefing. "We are thankful that there were no more than three victims or that there have not been any fatalities at this time."
"There are no more reports of any active shooting. One suspect is in custody," Glendale Police tweeted. "We are shutting down the Westgate area to ensure everyone is safe. Media staging will be at Cabela's parking lot."
The investigation is active. The FBI and ATF are also assisting .
State Sen. Martín Quezada said he happened to be at the mall and witnessed the attack.
"I just witnessed an armed terrorist with an AR-15 shoot up Westgate. There are multiple victims," he wrote on Twitter.
"I saw 2 victims with my own eyes," Quezada added. "Not sure how many others I saw the shooter. Being told not to say anything else about details 'til I speak to police. I'm ok. Lots of shaken up people."
Indoor malls in Arizona began to reopen on May 16 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Outdoor malls began reopening about a week earlier.
Phoenix‚s KNXV & ABC News' Ella Torres contributed to this report.
Original Post 11:30pm:
There were at least two people shot at a shopping complex in Arizona Wednesday night, police reported.
It happened Wednesday around 10:15 p.m. at Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale, Arizona.
One person is in custody, according to police.
They are asking people to avoid the area.
Comments