SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose police are still on the lookout for a suspect who shot three people at Westfield Valley Fair mall on Friday after an alleged gang-related altercation.
The San Jose Police Department said that a preliminary investigation into the Friday afternoon shooting indicated that a male suspect “became involved in a verbal altercation” with another man before pulling out a firearm and firing multiple shots. The department also added that the incident was gang-related, but said the circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation.
The male victim was shot, as were an uninvolved woman and a 16-year-old girl. Police said all three suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
What they’re saying:
One worker at the mall said they were on break at the time of the shooting.
“I didn’t know what was happening,” he said. “I was really confused because I went into the restroom.”
He said that when the shots rang out, he and his co-workers ran and hid in the storeroom of the shop where they worked.
“We stayed back there for 30 minutes. We were told by the intercom by police to evacuate,” he said.
The Westfield Valley Fair mall announced it would reopen at noon the day after the shooting. The worker told KTVU that he was unsure how to take the news.
“I don’t know. I don’t know how to feel yet,” he said “I guess I will find out when I am in there.”
The man added that he liked to work on Black Friday, but said will be more cautious when he returns to his store.
“Just being more alert. Just being more aware of my surroundings. This is the only thing I can learn from this,” he said.
The Source: Original reporting by Aaron Dickens of KTVU