Funviralpark The unidentified victim was shot during a brawl on the ground floor of the Nordstrom, police chief Booker Hodges told reporters.
Mall security video recorded an altercation between two groups of five to nine people.. During the fight, the man pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the victim, Hodges said.
It was unclear what led to the fight. He said a group of five to his seven fled the door after the shooting, and no arrests had been made as of late Friday.
Hodges expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation and called on everyone involved to turn themselves in.
“This is a tragedy and I’m really trying to contain how I feel about this, but we’re going to catch these people.
He said he was thinking along with the victim’s family, who “have to bury one of their loved ones.”
“They are suffering, and rightfully so, for things that shouldn’t have happened,” Hodges said.
The shooting occurred shortly before 8pm and the mall was cordoned off.the mall murmured 10:10 p.m. when the blockade was lifted.
It happened on a busy shopping day before Christmas Eve. Hodges said 16 police officers were at the mall on Friday and he heard gunshots, including one near the Nordstrom store.
A bystander’s coat was grazed by a bullet, but no other injuries were reported, Hodges said.
The mall, which opened in 1992, experimented with metal detectors at some entrances earlier this year, NBC affiliate KARE reported. Mall said at the time that it was testing options that “could allow us to further harden” the security system.
Earlier this year, a man opened fire three times in front of a store in the mall, according to the station.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
