Nov. 23 (UPI) — Police in Wisconsin said they have arrested a 15-year-old male in connection to last week’s shooting at a mall that left eight people injured.
Barry Weber, chief of the Wauwatosa Police Department, told reporters Sunday during a press conference that officers had apprehended the suspect, whom he described as a “15-year-old Hispanic male,” Saturday night.
Officers also confiscated a weapon during the arrest that they believe was used Friday at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, located just outside of Milwaukee.
The shooting occurred at the mall before 3 p.m. Friday, resulting in seven adults and one teenager being transferred to the hospital with injuries.
The suspect then left the mall among the fleeing shoppers, leading police on a manhunt for a suspect who was initially described as a White male.
The suspect was arrested Saturday night in a car, Weber said without specifying the location.
Weber said the shooting was not random but was the result of “an altercation between two groups,” adding that among the eight people injured four were bystanders.
Abby Pavlik, a spokeswoman with the department, said among the injured were those involved in the altercation, adding that several other arrests have been made and that the investigation was ongoing.
The motive behind the shooting was unknown, she said, adding that most of the victims have been discharged from the hospital.
Weber said there isn’t much information they can release at this time but said they wanted to inform the public as soon as possible that the arrest had been made and that the threat to the community was over.
Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride told reporters that he intends to visit the mall after the press conference.
“It could have happened anywhere,” he said. “It could have happened on the street. It could have happened at a church. It could have happened at a shopping mall. There’s no reason whatsoever to be concerned at this point. Again, it was not a random act.”
