SAN JOSE, Calif. – Valley Fair mall reopened to shoppers Saturday, one day after a gang-related shooting injured three people on one of the busiest shopping days of the year, authorities said.
The backstory:
San Jose police said the shooting happened just after 5:30 p.m. Friday on the second floor outside the women’s Macy’s. Investigators say a verbal altercation escalated when a man pulled a firearm from his waistband and fired several rounds.Â
A woman and a 16-year-old girl, both bystanders, were struck by gunfire. All three victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
“Initial information revealed the incident to be gang-motivated; however, the circumstances remain under investigation,” SJPD said in a press realease.
What’s next:
 The mall opened at noon on Saturday as shoppers returned to heavier police patrols and concerns about safety.
“If it had been like I said an active shooter that we see mass shootings these days in the US we would not have come,” said Eliot Dancy of Sacramento.Â
She said staffing shortages were noticeable.Â
“Lots of people but a lot of stores were actually closed,” Dacy said. “And where we were just dining they said that they closed their waitlist, because a lot of people didn’t choose to come to work today. So a lot of stores had half staff.”
On Friday, video posted to TikTok showed crowds running and scrambling to escape gunfire.Â
Macy’s employees and shoppers could also be seen embracing one another outside after being reunited during the evacuation.
What they’re saying:
“I know an incident like this can be shocking, can be difficult and would be very difficult to go to a mall,” Sgt. Jorge Garibay of the San Jose Police Department said on Friday. “I can tell you that San Jose Police Department will be increasing their patrols through all of our malls to provide a little sense of security.”
Some shoppers said they remained alert on Saturday.
“You have to be aware of your surroundings at all times, and have an exit plan everywhere,” said Penny Ramirez of Morgan Hill. “Care about the people you’re with, care about the people you’re around and try to be mindful.”
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan called for accountability in a statement, saying in part: “We are upping patrols at Valley Fair and will continue to update the community as the investigation continues. Please know — the person who caused this pain and fear will not get away with it, we will find them and they will face their crimes.”
The suspect fled before officers arrived and remains outstanding. Police are asking anyone with cellphone video or other evidence to contact investigators.
The Source: Original reporting by Betty Yu of KTVU