Police in Texas said this week that the 16-year-old suspected of shooting three people at an El Paso mall was shot by a citizen who was legally carrying a firearm at the mall.
The suspect, a Hispanic male, is accused of killing 17-year-old Angeles Zaragoza and wounding two others, a 20-year-old Hispanic male and a 17-year-old Hispanic male. According to police, the alleged shooter was shot by 32-year-old Emmanuel Duran as he fled the scene.
“As soon as the shooting ended, the 16-year-old suspect began to run and was pointing the gun toward the direction of bystanders, including 32-year-old Emmanuel Duran, a Licensed to Carry Holder. As the suspect ran toward Duran and bystanders, Duran drew his handgun and shot the suspect,” the El Paso Police Department said in a statement.
After Duran shot the suspect, he and an off-duty police officer “rendered aid” to him before he was taken into police custody and transported to the hospital where he was in stable condition, police said.
Duran, who was listed as a victim in the incident, has been cooperating with police, according to investigators.
The shooting took place Wednesday evening at the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso. Police said the violence was triggered after a “confrontation” between two groups at the food court.
Police Sgt. Robert Gomez said that the suspect would likely be charged with murder. “One person is dead so the likely charge will be murder, it’s not official but that would be the appropriate charge. And the other suspects that were injured by gunfire, the appropriate charge would be aggravated assault, but again, until they are officially charged he is just a suspect,” he told reporters.
Gomez said that the incident was disturbing and the gun used in the killing was stolen.
“It is always concerning when a 16-year-old has a stolen handgun and fires a weapon inside of a crowded mall. It’s very concerning, it’s very disturbing actually,” he said.
Another shooter at a mall was stopped by a citizen with a gun when 22-year-old Elisjsha Dicken shot a man who had attempted to shoot up an Indiana mall. Dicken, using a 9mm Glock pistol, fired off 10 rounds, hitting the shooter eight times in the span of only 15 seconds and from a distance of about 40 yards away.
Dicken was widely praised as a hero and police credited him with saving countless lives.
Story cited here.
