Pennsylvania mall shooting: 2 juveniles arrested after gang shootout at Ross Park Mall
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: The police took two juvenile males in custody as a heated brawl descended into a shootout at Ross Park Mall. Lt Brian Kohlhepp with Ross Township Police said there was a fight inside the mall that involved five or six people. Witnesses reported hearing 1-3 rounds of gunshot firing. The incident took place on the second floor of the mall near guest services.
Police said they are investigating to see if the said shootout was gang-related. Police said that they believe both of the suspects taken into custody are 17 years old. They are from the Pittsburgh area, now Ross Township. In a similar shootout incident, a gunman opened fire on Wednesday morning, May 26 at a public transit rail yard in San Jose. The incident proved to be fatal for at least eight of his co-workers. The gunman, an employee of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), identified as Sam Cassidy, took his own life after the incident.
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According to Allegheny County 911, the call came from the mall just after 4:30 pm. Police have arrested two people in connection with the incident and are looking for a third person. The search for the third suspect has been actively going on in the neighborhood behind Ross Park Mall. No injuries were reported in connection with the shooting or evacuation of the mall.
A store manager tells KDKA that an altercation that began as a harmless fight between two groups of teenagers occurred outside of their store. Things went down south quickly when a gun was pulled, causing the mall to implement its lockdown procedure, which led to the arrest of two people. The suspects are not charged yet. Police sources told KDKA’s Andy Sheehan that they believe the incident could be a gang-related fight gone wrong between three people. Police have recovered three firearms, handguns, that were reportedly involved in the incident. The public has been told to avoid the area. A Channel 11 employee at the mall said that the mall was put on lockdown following the incident.
The mall’s parent company, Simon Properties also faced wrath from the police for not having any cameras inside common areas of the mall. Anchor stores and some interior stores have their own cameras. Officials noted that they are going to have to rely heavily on social media and cell phone videos for the details of the incident. The FBI, Ross Township Police, McCandless Police, Pittsburgh Police and Allegheny County Police Department are all assisting in the case.