At least three individuals were taken to the hospital following a shooting at a shopping center during Black Friday sales, causing shoppers to seek refuge. The incident occurred at Westfield Valley Fair Mall in San Jose, California, prompting a search for the shooter. Multiple individuals are receiving medical treatment for gunshot wounds, as confirmed by the police.
The victims of the attack include a man, a woman, and a 16-year-old girl. The incident took place yesterday at 5:40 pm local time, according to Sergeant Jorge Garibay of the San Jose Police Department. Law enforcement authorities have classified the event as an “isolated incident” and assured that there is no ongoing threat to public safety.
Initial reports suggest that the shooting transpired following a dispute between the alleged gunman and the male victim, inadvertently involving the two female victims. Witnesses recounted chaotic scenes, with Shawn Kulasingham recalling hearing a loud noise and witnessing a chaotic rush of people. He described the frantic atmosphere as a stampede, causing the building to tremble.
Kulasingham sought refuge with his family in a secure store, Abercrombie & Fitch, hiding behind clothing racks and cabinets as panic ensued. Meanwhile, store security at Bloomingdales directed around 20 customers, including Bilal Zuberi and his wife, into storage closets as a precautionary measure. Although Zuberi did not hear the gunshots, he noted a sense of panic and an announcement instructing everyone to remain in place with locked doors.
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