6 injured at North Carolina mall in Black Friday shooting
Durham NC Nov 28 2021 Panic erupted at a North Carolina mall filled with Black Friday shoppers when three people were shot — including a 10-year-old boy — and three others injured in what authorities described as a fight between two groups.
Gunshots pierced the air at 3:23 p.m. inside The Streets at Southpoint mall in Durham, the city’s police chief, Patrice Andrews, said at a news briefing. Off-duty officers called in for assistance as fearful crowds ran toward the exits.
An unidentified child was hit by a bullet that ricocheted and was taken to a nearby hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, Andrews said. No information was immediately available on the two others shot. Three people were also injured as they tried to flee what the chief called a fight between “two groups who knew each other.
Videos and photos shared on social media show people running after the gunfire erupted, leaving behind flipped chairs, fallen signs and food atop tables at the food court.
While the total number of people involved remains uncertain, Andrews said many of the perpetrators quickly fled the scene. Police, however, have a suspect in custody, as well as several witnesses. At least one weapon was recovered.
The mall was placed on lockdown and “will be closed until further notice,” according to its website. The parking lot filled with police cars and lines of shoppers’ vehicles attempting to exit as officers descended on the scene.
