TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – A fight between teen boys led to a shooting at Park Place Mall in Tucson on Wednesday, March 18.
The TPD said it happened near the food court and children’s playground around 7 p.m., when the mall was packed with shoppers and workers.
“We are extremely fortunate that no innocent bystanders were injured,” the TPD said in a release Thursday.
Several videos of the shooting were posted on social media, and you can watch one of them below.
Brianna Smeltzer-Mannett told 13 News that she was at Victoria’s Secret when she heard several gunshots.
“Really quickly, I was like, yeah, those are gunshots,” Smeltzer-Mannett said. “If I had walked out of that store probably a minute earlier, I probably would have seen it right in front of my eyes.”
Smeltzer-Mannett said she went behind a counter at the store to hide with nearly a dozen women.
“We were all just really quiet, and I was just praying to God that we were all just protected,” she said.
While the mall was back open on Thursday, the shooting was still top of mind for many.
“It definitely makes me feel unsafe,” said Damian Corrales. “I feel like the lack of security that I’ve personally seen here at the mall has been very abundant.”
Corrales said he was shocked that it happened with so many people around.
“In all honesty, it’s really nerve-wracking,” he said. “It’s scary to think that in a public place like this, where lots of people gather, a tragedy like this just happens to take hold.”
The TPD said some off-duty officers were working at the mall and responded to secure the scene.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call 88-CRIME or go to www.88CRIME.org.
“We also want to recognize and thank mall security personnel and employees for their swift actions in helping facilitate the evacuation and directing shoppers to safety,” the TPD said. “Their response contributed to a quick and orderly clearing of the area.”
It is Spring Break, and 13 News was told by people outside the mall that it was packed at the time of the shooting.
One mall worker, who did not want to be identified, said they hid in the back of their store for more than 90 minutes. They said other employees came into their store after hearing six to seven shots.
“I was trying not to break down and run out the door or go hysterical because it was pretty nerve-racking when you don’t know what’s going on,” the worker said.
GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT VIOLENT CRIME
13 News spoke with local leaders and residents about the recent shootings and growing safety concerns.
“It’s very scary,” said Monica Carlson with the Tucson Crime Free Coalition. “For one, when people are scared to come out of their homes at night because of this kind of crime, there’s a huge problem.”
Many of the recent shootings have involved teens, something that concerns Carlson even more.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “I have children, I’ve, you know, at home, and it’s heartbreaking. And yes, we’re definitely being notified of a lot more crime.”
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said the city saw a 14% drop in homicides last year, but Carlson believes gun violence isn’t going down at the same rate.
“I do not believe crime is down,” Carlson said. “A lot of crime is going unreported right now in the city of Tucson, because people are not reaching out, because there’s no response from police officers.”
So the question is, what can be done?
Tucson Police Officers Association President Darrell Hussman said when multiple crimes happen in a similar area, they can send out extra patrols to monitor the area.
“If there’s a hot spot, we have a lot of programs that see where crime is concentrated,” Hussman said. “We have units that will go out just to make sure. Was it a coincidence that they happened so close together, or is there something there?”
But that response is reactive, and Carlson believes more proactive measures need to be taken by city leaders.
“Mayor and council need to get very serious about community safety and budgeting for the Tucson Police Department,” she said. “When there’s more police on the streets, the crime is down.”
Earlier Wednesday, Romero held an event with local and national violence prevention organizations.
Romero said more police are not always the answer.
“There have been beliefs that our police officers are the cure-all for community safety,” she said. “That is absolutely not true. They’re an important piece of it, but the work that you all are doing is equally important.”
Romero emphasized the importance of advocacy, more funding, and community prevention messaging.
Hussman said that is a key part of what police and the community can do now to curb the violence.
“Then, it’s just having that education, not only from the department and the community, but even parents need to have those hard communication and conversations with their children about when to walk away,” he said.
13 News has reported on three other shootings involving multiple victims in Tucson over the last six days.
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