In a disturbing update to yesterday’s news about a shooting at a mall in the US state of Alabama, local police now believe that they shot and killed the wrong person in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and that the actual gunman may still be at large.
An 18-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl were injured after a shooting at around 9.30 on Thanksgiving night at the Riverchase Galleria Mall, and 21-year-old Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford was shot and killed as he fled the scene, brandishing a gun.
While it was originally understood that Bradford was the gunman, new evidence has come to light suggesting that several people other than the shooter were present during the altercation. In a statement to the media, the Hoover Police Department said:
“Our department does not typically issue media updates during an internal investigation but there was information discussed with local media last night that merits update and clarification … New evidence suggests that while Bradford may have been involved in some aspect of the altercation, he likely did not fire the rounds that injured the 18-year-old victim. This information indicates that there is at least one gunman at large, who could be responsible for the shooting of the 18-year-old male and 12-year-old female.”
They local PD has also released the statement on Facebook:
Per reports in local media, the statement sparked protests in the area, with dozens of people including local activists and members of Bradford’s family gathering outside the mall, urging a boycott. They have also demanded the release of police body cam footage of the incident.
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is now looking into the shooting, and is in the process of interviewing witnesses, having taken over from local law enforcement.
