A 17-year-old boy was killed and another man was injured in a shooting at Desert Sky Mall in west Phoenix Sunday afternoon. That victim who died is described as a young adult male or a juvenile.
Phoenix Police Sergeant Andy Williams said the shooting happened just before 1 PM Sunday afternoon at the mall near 75th Avenue and Thomas Road. He says a kiosk employee and a customer got into an argument, things escalated, and gunfire erupted.
Two men were shot in that gunfire and were taken to a hospital. One of those victims died from his injuries. Williams later identified him as 17-year-old Alejandro Martinez.
The other victim, a 20-year-old man, is expected to survive. His name has not been released.
Police say they’re not sure what his role was in the shooting, but say he was not one of the two men involved in the initial argument. “He was not one of the two males that exchanged gunfire,” said Sergeant Williams.
Police say the employee allegedly involved in the shooting is cooperating with investigators.
Witnesses described the terrifying scene. “Running and people were crying. My daughters started to cry because they get scared,” said Maria Salano, who was eating at the mall with her two daughters when gunshots rang out. “You know, in that moment, so many things pass through your mind.”
“My adrenaline was going; my anxiety was up . I was like, we got to get out of here…” AZ Family
