Three people were shot Wednesday night in a prominent shopping mall near Phoenix, Arizona. The shooter was in custody, according to police in suburban Glendale. Police responded to the Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale around 7:25 p.m. after getting multiple reports of a shooting in the area, Glendale police spokesperson Tiffany Ngalula told USA Today.
Ngala said that three people were shot with one in critical condition at a nearby hospital. The two other victims had non-life threatening injuries. By the time police arrived at the scene, the shooter was no longer active, Ngalula said. The unidentified shooter was found in the Westgate area, where police “challenged” him and were able to safely take him into custody.
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UPDATE:
— Zach Crenshaw (@ZachCrenshaw) May 21, 2020
Glendale PD says three people were shot. One critical.
Two non critical.
Suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Police could not confirm the validity of the video circulating on social media but asked people not to share it or provide “notoriety” pic.twitter.com/Eg1kRuNKNk
Video circulated on social media Wednesday night of a man claiming to be the shooter. One of the videos showed the man with a semi-automatic rifle. Ngalula said police were aware of the video. Police asked people not to share the video or “provide ‘notoriety,’” ABC15 reporter Zach Crenshaw reported. Numerous other videos showed store employees and guests sheltering in place.
“Our hearts and prayers are with individuals and families impacted tonight, as well as the first responders and police officers who are on the scene,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said on Twitter. “The state is here to continue to offer its full support to the victims and to the community.”
Westgate Entertainment District told CNN that they were “deeply troubled” by the shooting and offered “thoughts and prayers” to the victims and their families. “Westgate will continue to work closely with the Glendale Police Department and in-house security to best ensure the safety of our customers, tenants and residents,” the statement said. The shopping mall in Glendale is about 15 miles from Phoenix.
Arizona State Sen. Martin Quezada said on Twitter that he witnessed the shooting. “I just witnessed an armed terrorist with an AR-15 shoot up Westgate. There are multiple victims,” he tweeted Wednesday night, adding that he saw the shooter. “Being told not to say anything else about details ’til I speak to police. I’m ok. Lots of shaken up people.”
