Wisconsin police arrest boy, 15, for 'shooting and injuring seven adults and a teenager at a mall' after an 'argument' between two groups
A teenager from Milwaukee was arrested on Saturday night in connection with a shooting at a Wisconsin mall that left eight people in need of hospital care.
The 15-year-old Hispanic boy was detained following Friday's shooting, and a weapon was found.
Barry Weber, chief of Wauwasota police, said that there had been 'an altercation' between two groups.
He told a press conference that four innocent bystanders were injured in the melee, suggesting that the other four were somehow involved in the dispute.
Barry Weber, chief of Wauwatosa police, said on Sunday a 15-year-old boy had been arrested
Weber said he was detained on Saturday night and a gun was retrieved
The shooting happened on Friday afternoon by the Macy's inside Mayfair Mall
The teenage gunman then escaped out of Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, while shoppers were being evacuated, and ran away on foot.
Seven adults and one teenager were hurt in the incident, which sparked a massive manhunt.
Police quickly realized it was not a random attack.
'Preliminary investigation has led us to believe that this shooting was not a random act, and was the result of an altercation,' Wauwatosa police said on Friday night.
'We will continue to work diligently to interview the many witnesses, as well as the victims who were injured, to identify and apprehend the suspect.'*
As night fell on Friday officers were still scouring the scene of the shooting
An estimated 75 officers were on the scene on Friday evening searching for the gunman
Those inside the mall were being allowed out slowly, while relatives waited outside
Barry Weber of Wauwatosa Police Department said there were eight injured in the shooting
The incident happened at 2:50pm, police said, and shortly before 9:30pm the Mayfair Mall had been cleared and was 'secure'.
Dennis McBride, the mayor of Wauwatosa, said none of those injured appeared to have life-threatening injuries.
'When the emergency services arrived, the gunman was no longer on the scene,' said Weber, the chief of Wauwatosa police.
'There have not been any fatalities that I am aware of,' he said.
The shooting is believed to have happened near the Macy's inside the Mayfair Mall
Police cordoned off the scene on Friday night as they hunted for the gunman
Police Chief Barry Weber said 'there have not been any fatalities that I am aware of'
Large numbers of police were still on the scene on Friday evening as night fell
He said all were alive when the emergency services took them to the hospital.
Seventy five police officers and at least 10 ambulances were requested to the scene around 3pm.
The mall and a nearby school were placed on lockdown.
Dozens of police cars were at the scene, many outside the Macy's department store at the mall.
WISN 12 reported that the majority of victims were shot near the Macy's.
A woman who was inside Macy's told CBS 58 she heard what sounded like eight to 12 gunshots right outside the store.
'We were on the third floor,' said Jill Wooley.
'We heard eight to 12 gunshots, and dropped to the floor.'
She said she did not see the gunman, but managed to find a stairwell and head down into Macy's basement.
At least three people were seen being loaded into Wauwatosa Fire Department ambulances
The shooting happened shortly before 3pm at the Wauwatosa shopping mall
'We went through another doorway and found more employees, and told them what was happening. They immediately ran off to find some information, and what we should do. Shortly after we all ran out of the building.'
She was with her 79-year-old mother, and both were shaken but unharmed.
Police secured the building, and allowed those inside the mall to filter out. The teenage gunman is believed to have escaped along with the shoppers.
Brookfield Properties, which manages Mayfair Mall, said in a statement: 'We are disheartened and angered that our guests and tenants were subject to this violent incident today.
'We are thankful for our partners at the Wauwatosa Police Department and we are cooperating with them as their investigation develops.'
The gunman opened fire at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin on Friday afternoon
The Mayfair Mall was the site of a shooting in February 2020, in which a police officer, Joseph Mensah, shot and killed 17-year-old Alvin Cole, a black man.
Police said Cole was fleeing from officers and Mensah, who is also black, shot Cole after the teen pointed a gun at him.
The mall was the target of sporadic protests over several months in the wake of the shooting.
The Milwaukee County district attorney declined to file charges against Mensah, but the city this week agreed to a separation agreement in which Mensah will be paid at least $130,000 to leave the force.
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