“GANG revenge” may be behind Saturday’s shooting at Columbiana Mall in South Carolina that left 14 people wounded, a law enforcement source has said.
Of those injured in the incident, nine people were shot and five others injured.
The injured ranged in age from 15 to 73 years old, police said.
Only one victim, a 73-year-old woman, continued to receive medical treatment, police said.
"All other victims have been treated and released or will be released shortly," police said in a statement.
Police had previously said on Saturday that 10 people were injured by gunfire at the Columbiana Centre mall in Columbia, South Carolina.
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Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook did not mention gangs during a news conference late Saturday afternoon.
But he said authorities do not believe the shooting was random and that those involved knew each other.
Holbrook said the shooting was “not a situation of a random person that showed up at the mall”.
He added three people had been detained.
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Columbia Police said they arrested Jewayne M Price, 22, on a charge of unlawful carrying of a pistol.
Police said additional charges may be forthcoming.
Easter shoppers were seen fleeing in terror in the wake of the attack at around 2pm.
Columbia Police Deputy Chief Melron Kelly said no fatalities have been reported – and revealed some people may have been trampled in the chaos.
MALL SEARCHED
Officers searched the mall for anyone with a weapon.
Police warned shoppers and employees to remain in hiding until officers came to escort them out of the mall.
Casey Poole told The Sun he was at the mall with friends in the store Buckle when they heard what sounded like rain, but turned out to be gunshots.
They turned around and saw people running from the noise. Store employees locked the doors and held the shoppers in the back.
One of the employees then confirmed to the group there was an active shooter in the mall.
Poole says he's spoken to other people who were shopping who said: "a couple people were shot and some were trampled."
He also saw an individual being placed in handcuffs in the parking lot after police surrounded the car with guns drawn.
Poole says an automatic weapon might have been used based on the sound of the gunshots.
Daniel Johnson said he and his family were visiting from Alabama and were eating in the food court when they first heard shots ring out and started seeing people running.
Johnson said people were screaming for their children and spouses, knocking over tables in the food court as they fled.
"Everybody was trying to get outside," Johnson said. "When I was coming out, you could see baby strollers turned over, peoples phones and left keys. It was kind of a hectic situation."
Johnson said he gathered his wife, daughter and son and began heading toward the exit after letting the crowd clear out for a bit.
There were more than a hundred first responders at the mall and across the street at a command center.
Patrol vehicles from Columbia and Irmo police as well as Lexington County Sheriff’s deputies attended the scene.
The mall parking lot was closed as dozens of emergency vehicles arrived in the area.
Law enforcement officers carrying firearms and wearing camouflage vests were seen entering the mall around 3.20pm.
At least one ambulance was seen leaving the mall shortly after 3pm.
The police department tweeted officers are responding to the scene at the mall.
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Around 2.30pm the Columbia Police Department reported shots were fired at the Columbiana mall.
Multiple tweets from people claiming to be at the mall say they heard shots near the food court.
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