Washington Square Mall shooting: ‘Screaming … then deafeningly quiet’
No one is in custody at this time, police say.
Patricia Reason hadn't been in Target five minutes when she heard gunfire.
She was in the back of the retail store, in the clothing section picking out a shirt, when she heard several shots coming from somewhere near the entrance.
"I knew immediately what it was," said Reason, 57. "Someone started screaming, 'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.' Then it was just deafeningly quiet."
The Target, which is connected to Washington Square Mall, was where police said they found two gunshot victims who had been bystanders to a shooting at the southwest entrance of the mall.
Police said three people were shot and injured at the mall Wednesday night when a suspect opened fire on a man he knew. On Thursday, investigators said they were searching for two suspects, both men between the ages of 19 and 20 years old.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded around 6:30 p.m. on reports of shots fired in the mall.
"I hid in the fitting room," Reason said. "I called 911 right away as soon as I got in the fitting room."
Police think a man entered the mall, approached a man he knew and shot him, said IMPD Deputy Chief of Operations Brian Mahone.
"This is not a random act," Mahone said. "It looks like the suspect and the victim knew each other."
Two males, 25 and 26 years old, and one 20-year-old female were wounded. The 26-year-old remained in serious condition at IU Methodist Hospital Thursday, police said.
The other two victims were transported to Eskenazi Hospital and have since been released, said police.
"This (shooting) could've been anywhere these two individuals would've run into each other," Mahone said.
Other details about the incident, including how many shots were fired and a description of the suspect, remained scarce. Police did confirm that the suspect did not use a "long gun" or AK-47, as other media outlets were reporting.
The mall is at the intersection of Mitthoefer Road and Washington Street on the Far Eastside.
Adrian Lewis, the mall's property manager, said in a statement:
We can confirm that a shooting occurred this evening at the Washington Square mall. The mall's security staff and Indianapolis Police Department responded quickly. The mall is cooperating fully with the police's investigation.
The safety of our shoppers and employees is our top priority. As part of our commitment to promoting a safe shopping environment, we maintain a highly-trained staff that is prepared to respond to a variety of emergency situations. We take numerous proactive measures and coordinate very closely with local officials as a best practice.
Our thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time.
Washington Square, which opened in 1974, is managed by Jones Lang LaSalle. Among the mall’s tenants are Dick’s Sporting Goods and the AMC Showplace 12 theater.
"You hear about this stuff all the time, these (shootings) happening," Reason said. "People are just chaotic and it's like anarchy. It's just so scary...Thank the lord it wasn't worse than it was."
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