According to police, the suspect entered the busy mall around 6:30 pm through the 9th Street door with another man and fired at two men who entered through the Market Street doors. The bullet missed and hit a granite wall. As a result, a piece of the wall flew off and hit a shopper who luckily only suffered a scratch. But detectives believe it could have been much worse. “It appears that at the time the weapon was fired, the magazine somehow fell out of the weapon and the shooter was unable to fire the weapon any further,” said Philadelphia Police Inspector DF Pace. Desiree Morales was on the first floor at the time. “I just heard two loud bangs and at first I was nervous. I wasn’t sure. There were security guards and stuff telling us to leave,” Morales said. William Beard, who works as security at a jewelry store inside, called the incident a nerve-wracking situation. “I heard the gunshots and the guys ran right past me. The scary part, the young lady who had to take all the jewelry away, she was a nervous wreck,” Beard said. Police said an 18-year-old suspect was taken into custody. Those who work at the mall fear that such incidents are becoming routine. Earlier this month, on September 3, a group of more than 100 juveniles stormed the mall causing mass disturbances. And on September 4, video showed visitors running from the area after shots were fired in the heart of the city. A Fashion District sign was even hit by the gunfire. No one was injured in the incident, but police said five people were arrested. It’s still unclear what led to the shooting Tuesday night. Inspector Pace says the department has increased its police presence in the fashion district since those earlier incidents. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS. Copyright © 2022 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.
