Three people shot at food court inside Delaware’s Christiana Mall
(Christiana Mall evacuated followed shootings at the food court, Image credit: 6abc / YouTube)
On April 8, Police in the State of Delaware issued a notice to the public that they were conducting an investigation into criminal activity at the Christiana Mall, saying that they had increased police presence in the area and that the mall had been closed. Police also asked the public to “Please avoid the area.” Turns out, police had the mall evacuated following an altercation that erupted into multiple shootings being reported at the mall’s food court just after 6:30 p.m. yesterday.
Soon after their initial announcement, the Delaware State Police issued a second notice indicating that they were investigating a shooting incident at the mall, that the facility was being evacuated and would remain closed for the remainder of the evening. Police added that anyone having to go to the mall in order to locate someone, that, “A reunification site has been set up at the north entrance by the AT&T store.”
Background: At approximately 6:43 p.m., police were dispatched to the Mall for a reported shooting that occurred at the entrance to the food court. Officers responded and located three victims with gunshot wounds in the vicinity of the food court. The victims were transported to area hospitals for their injuries.
Initially, two of the gunshot subjects were reported to be in critical condition, according to the News Journal of Wilmington. Police said that all three of the victims were listed in stable condition. Five other individuals sustained various injuries not related to gunfire during the incident.
Shopper Elle Saulsbury described the chaotic scene to CBS Philadelphia.
“We just saw everybody running, and eventually the fire alarm got pulled, and we weren’t sure what was going on,” Saulsbury said. “So we just decide to run with the crowd.”
As shared by WSB-TV, David Neff of Elkton, Maryland, said he was at the mall food court with his partner and a friend when he heard gunshots coming from near an area near the Barnes & Noble bookstore and the Chick-fil-a restaurant, the News Journal reported.
“I was definitely scared,” Neff told the newspaper.
Police have not confirmed yet just how many suspects were involved in the shootings. Investigators are actively working to identify the suspects. The incident is determined to be a result of an altercation between several suspects and at least one of the victims. This remains an active and ongoing investigation with police adding that there is no threat to public safety.
Ultimately, the Christiana Mall was searched and cleared by police. As of this writing, the shooters are still at large, and no arrests have been made.
The Delaware State Police Troop 2 Criminal Investigative Unit is currently investigating the incident. Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding this case to contact Detective H. Carroll by calling 302-365-8467.
Information may also be provided by sending a Private Facebook Message to the Delaware State Police or contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-847-3333.
For more on the shootings at Christiana Mall, see the video accompoanying this article.
(Source: Delaware State Police) / (Cover photo, Image credit: 6abc / Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
