3 people shot and 1 in custody at North Carolina shopping mall ahead of holiday weekend https://t.co/p5bEMdDnCD pic.twitter.com/qga7w1DInz — Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 6, 2018
Three people were shot early Saturday morning at a Pittsboro, North Carolina, mall.
Police arrested a suspect in the shooting, but not before panic sent some shoppers running and causing mass panic inside the Belk department store.
According to WSOC-TV, police received reports of gunshots fired at the Lanier Mall shortly after 2 a.m. Three people were hit, and one was hospitalized.
Police told WSOC that “multiple shots were fired.” One person was shot in the foot, one in the hip and another in the leg. Police said there was no additional threat to shoppers after that.
According to the newspaper, a police spokesman called the scene chaotic, and those inside “heard what sounded like fireworks.”
Not long after, however, a man was taken into custody and police released him without charges. However, he was hit in the face with a plastic item outside of the mall, forcing authorities to investigate his use of force.
Spokeswoman Elizabeth Greenwood said police also determined two other people were in the area when the shooting took place and had an unrelated encounter with the suspect. They were not hit.
It’s unclear why the victims were shot.
No arrests have been made, but police are working to identify the alleged shooter.
During rush hour shoppers reported hearing multiple gunshots. The area was evacuated and hundreds were crowding the mall parking lot as police and rescue crews worked to clear the mall.