Several shot, 1 person dead at Alabama mall
Hoover AL November 23 2018
Two people were injured and a third killed when gunfire erupted Thanksgiving night at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover.
An 18-year-old male was shot and was rushed to UAB Hospital’s Trauma Center where he was in serious condition. A 12-year-old girl was also shot and wounded. Authorities said she is believed to alert and conscious at Children’s of Alabama. A 21-year-old Hueytown man, whose name has not been released, was shot and killed by Hoover police.
The shooting happened while thousands were getting an early start at the Galleria, the largest mall in Alabama and a popular Black Friday destination for shoppers from around the state. . The gunfire inside the mall sent shoppers scurrying for cover and city officials described the scene as chaotic.
Lexi Joiner said she was shopping with her mother when the gunfire erupted between J.C. Penney and Foot Action on the mall’s second floor. She said she heard six or seven shots ring out and was ordered, along with other nearby shoppers, into a supply closet for cover.
“It was terrifying,’’ Joiner said.
Several shoppers were seen with their guns drawn. One eyewitness was leaving the mall and entering the parking deck when he heard multiple shots, he ran to his car as people were fleeing the entrance by Journey’s. He heard tires squealing as people tried to flee.
“This was my first Black Friday,” the high schools senior said. “I knew it would be crazy, just not this crazy.”
Hoover police already had a heavy presence both outside and inside the mall. They quickly secured a perimeter and worked methodically to evacuate shoppers. “We have a plan and our plan works,’’ said Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis.
Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rectors said the shooting happened at 9:52 p.m. “We received a call of shots fired outside of Foot Action. We already had multiple officers working at the mall for traffic control and police presence inside,’’ he said.
Earlier information, he said, is that two adult males – one of the 18 years old – got into a physical altercation in the mall area. “At least one of those individuals exchanged gunfire with the other,’’ Rector said. “The 18-year-old was struck. He was taken UAB with at least one wound. We believe he is in serious condition.”
After the initial gunfire, Rector said the person who shot the 18-year-old was fleeing the area when he was confronted by two Hoover police officers, who were in uniform. “One of our officers did engage that individual and shot him,’’ Rector said. “He was dead on the scene.”
“The Hoover police officer actually was running to the scene, he heard gunshots, he was obviously very near the scene, he actually shot and killed the person who injured the other person,’’ Rector said.
He said they do not know what started the initial fight. “We know they got into physical altercation. We know the deceased was armed with a handgun and we know he shot the person who was transported to UAB,’’ Rector said.
The 12-year-old bystander was also hit, but police aren’t yet sure at what point she was shot. Witnesses said she was shot in the back, but police have not confirmed that information. She was taken to Children’s of Alabama.
“She was alert, conscious and talking and maybe going to surgery,’’ Rector said.
Thought there were reports of other people injured as they were fleeing the mall, Rector said authorities had not been made aware of any other injuries.
At least several bystanders took photos and videos of the incident inside the mall and those photos – which included a graphic picture of the dead man – quickly made the rounds on social media. Friends of his mother and other family members were pleading for the sharing of the images to stop.
Rector said police had a solid protection plan for the Galleria beginning Thanksgiving night, as they do every year. “This is a big shopping day for us as it is for everybody across the country,’’ Rector said. “We always gear up for extra manpower starting on Thanksgiving afternoon, we do that throughout Christmas.”
“Obviously our officers are well-trained and they go through different types of training throughout the year and they always do a good job responding,’’ he said. “We were fortunate enough to have two officers near an active shooting scene and those officers rushed to that scene and encountered an individual who just shot someone, so we were fortunate that Hoover officer was where he needed to be and we believe he prevented further injuries.”
Rector said it is always a tough situation when an officer has to shoot someone. “It’s obviously going to be a difficult situation and we’re fortunate it’s something that doesn’t happen often,’’ he said.
Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr responded to the scene. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was asked to lead the investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
“We will be looking at every possible means to gather the evidence of what happened,’’ Rector said. “We want it to paint a very clear picture of what happened tonight.”
Rector and other police and city officials said they believe the Galleria is a safe shopping destination, despite what happened Thursday night. “The Galleria has been here about 33 years now and I could probably count the number of people who have actually been shot on this property on one or two hands,’’ he said. “It’s one of the safest shopping destinations. Unfortunately, if you get thousands and thousands of people together in any venue, occasionally you’re going to have violence.”
Chief Derzis agreed. “It’s a sad day in hoover tonight,’’ Derzis said.
“We have been working this mall for over 20 years, with additional officers inside and outside. Unfortunately this took place tonight here,’’ he said. “I’m very very proud of the Hoover police officers who were on the scene.”
“Thank God we had our officers very close. They heard the gunfire, they engaged the subject, And they took out the threat,’’ he said. “That threat could have materialized into a lot more people being injured. Thank goodness that did not happen.”
Hoover police and firefighters responded to the shopping center after 11 p.m. on at least one fight on the mall’s second floor.
On Thanksgiving night 2017, Hoover police and firefighters responded to the shopping center after 11 p.m. on at least one fight in a store on the mall’s second floor. Reports of gunfire quickly spread on social media, but authorities said reports of shots fired were not confirmed and no one was shot.
“If you look nationally at all nonsense, and I call it nonsense, that happens, for some reason people think that when they engaged in some sort of altercation, it’s Ok to pull out a gun and shoot somebody. It’s not,’’ the chief said. “Thank God we don’t have it often. I would hope people were coming out on a holiday night to enjoy themselves and not engage in the type of nonsense we had tonight.”
Derzis said investigators would like work overnight at the mall. It wasn’t immediately clear what time it would reopen.
“Hopefully by tomorrow (Friday) everything will be back to normal for people who want to come out and shop,’’ he said. “We want people to feel safe, and I hope that they will.”
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said he believes the Riverchase Galleria is still one of the “safest places in America.”
“I’m just grateful for the rapid, professional response of our police officers. They acted with such heroism,’’ he said. “They acted appropriately and quickly. It’s already a bad situation, but it could have been worse.”
“They took a situation that was very grave and chaotic and neutralized it an got under control quickly,’’ Brocato said. “This was an isolated incident. Unfortunately, it happens all of the country. You just don’t bring guns to a crowded mall and that’s what happened tonight.”
AL.com
