San Jose police have announced the arrest of a teen boy in connection with a Black Friday shooting at Westfield Valley Fair that wounded three people — including a teen girl bystander — and sent shoppers fleeing for the exits at the city’s largest indoor mall on one of its busiest days of the year.
Police stated on social media Monday morning that “we got him. Last night SJPD located and arrested the suspect responsible for the triple shooting at Valley Fair Mall that occurred on November 28th.” An SJPD spokesperson later confirmed that the suspect, who had previously only been described as male, is a minor.
The police department declined to release additional information, but scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference to share more details about the investigation and arrest.
The Friday afternoon shooting garnered national headlines, due in part to its location inside a mall and broader news media interest in consumer mayhem on Black Friday, which for about two decades has been an unofficial start to the holiday shopping season.
Police said the shooting was reported around 5:40 p.m. on a second-floor walkway just outside of the Macy’s department store on the San Jose side of the mall.
Valley Fair, located on Stevens Creek Boulevard, sits both in San Jose and Santa Clara, with the city border bisecting the property. There are two Macy’s anchor stores, with the women’s and jewelry sections located on the San Jose side and the men’s, children’s and housewares sections located in Santa Clara.
The gunfire stemmed from an individual clash and was not targeted at shoppers at large, police said, adding that the suspect shot a man with whom he had a dispute — potentially gang related — and that the shots also wounded a woman and 16-year-old girl who were not involved.
All of the shooting victims are expected to survive, police said.
After the shooting, the mall was evacuated while San Jose police officers scoured the facility in search of the shooter and to ensure the property was safe.
A mall worker who spoke to The Mercury News said he was working at a bar when he saw hordes of scared shoppers “storm in,” and realized they were seeking shelter from the shots. He said people left through the rear exits and were greeted by arriving police officers carrying rifles and urging everyone to get clear of the mall.
Social media soon became populated with photo and video accounts of the frenzied reaction to the shooting, as some sought shelter and others rushed toward any nearby exit. One shopper recounted hiding in a storage room with her children.
Eduardo Barocio, an 18-year-old Oakland man, said he had just arrived at the mall when he heard what sounded like eight to 10 gunshots, and soon saw people running. He told this news organization that he ran to a parking lot and later saw two officers leave the mall with a man who had an apparent chest wound.
On Saturday morning, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan lamented how “a holiday shop became a survival mission” at Valley Fair. Police Chief Paul Joseph announced stepped-up patrols in the mall area and a pledge for a swift arrest. The mall reopened that same day.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Staff writers Jason Green and Kyle Martin contributed to this report.