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“I don’t even go into the mall area. It is infested with gangs.”

SouthCenter Mall is also infested with gangs and punk kids. See the News This morning about gunfire between 2 gangs last night.

http://www.komotv.com/news/16632866.html

1 Shot at Southcenter Mall
TUKWILA, Wash. — One person was shot at Southcenter Mall in the 3700 block of 126th Place SE around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police.

Police said an argument between two groups of teens and young men broke out in the parking lot outside the mall’s north entrance near the Johnny Rockets restaurant. The fight escalated until one of them pulled out a hand gun and fired more than eight times, hitting the victim.

The victim, whose name and condition are not known, was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Several of the store’s exterior glasses were shattered and nearby parked vehicles were also hit. Inside the mall, meanwhile, the sound of the gunshots unleashed sheer panic among shoppers and employees.

“I heard ‘pop, pop, pop.’ Everyone got down. I got down,” said one witness.

“Scariest thing that ever happened to me,” said another.

In the minutes following initial reports of the shooting, concerned callers told KOMO 4 News that their loved ones were inside the mall, hiding inside various stores and scared, not knowing what was happening.

Two off-duty police officers who happened to be at the mall spotted a suspect leaving the scene and trailed him while calling for backup. A police chase ensued in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 as the suspect sped towards Seattle.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, finally pulled over near the intersection of 7th and Marion where police arrested him.

“There were at least 20, 30 cop cars here, helicopters flying around and everything,” said Brandon Miller, who witnessed the dramatic end to the police chase.

Police also arrested a man who was found hiding about an hour after the incident and, upon being found, began running from police. Investigators are looking into whether the man was connected to the shooting.

In all police have detained four people, some of whom are refusing to talk. Police believe one gunman is responsible for the incident, but they believe several people may have been involved. Police aren’t sure whether they already have the gunman in custody.

Investigators uncovered two handguns at the scene, one of which is believed to have been used in the shooting.

Officials locked down the shopping mall immediately after the shooting. At around 9 p.m. officials began allowing shoppers to leave the mall, but the man seen running from the scene of the crime sparked panic among the crowd. In an attempt to control the chaos, police locked down the mall again.

Police then began conducting a sweep of the mall, alerting people at each store of the latest developments. Officers patted down each person before letting him or her leave the mall in case additional suspects remain at large.

Police do not know whether the shooting was gang-related; it is not known what sparked the fight between the two groups.

The investigation is ongoing.