Columbia, South Carolina mall shooting: 12 injured, three people arrested after shooting at mall
The incident occurred on the premises of Columbiana Centre Mall, said Columbia Police Chief William H. “Skip” Holbrook. There were no fatalities reported from the shooting, he said.
Holbrook said three armed people were detained by police, although it is not clear how many people actually fired a weapon. Police believe the shooting was not a random attack, he added.
“We believe the individuals that were armed knew each other, and there was some type of conflict that occurred which resulted in gunfire,” Holbrook said in a Saturday afternoon news conference. “This was not a situation where we had some random person show up at a mall to discharge a firearm and injure people.”
Of those injured, 10 received gunshot wounds, with eight being transported for treatment and two self-transporting for care, according to Holbrook.
The oldest shooting victim is 73, Holbrook said, and the youngest is 15.
Two of the gunshot victims are in critical but stable condition, he said, and six are in stable condition. Two people suffered non-gunshot-related injuries in what Holbrook described as a “stampede” after the incident.
Police learned about the shooting after receiving a call about gunfire at the mall near the Gap store, Holbrook said.
“We’re asking that the public stay out of the area,” Holbrook said.
Columbia police established a hotline for witnesses of the shooting and are asking anyone with video of the shooting to reach out to them.
“We know a lot of people saw different things. Please take a moment, collect your thoughts and reach out to law enforcement,” Holbrook said on Twitter.
“Employees inside the mall who were told to shelter in place for safety, law enforcement officers will come to you as a protected escort. DO NOT leave a store until told to do so by proper authorities,” Columbia police tweeted.
Police were also asking those inside the mall to call law enforcement and inform dispatchers of their location. Officers were working to evacuate the mall after reports of shots fired.
The reunification site is the Fairfield Inn at 320 Columbiana Drive.
Authorities are asking those in the area to be cautious as it will be a “high-traffic area.”
Columbiana Centre Mall is approximately 10 miles from downtown Columbia.
