UPDATED 11:05 a.m. ET: Contrary to the initial report, Alabama police are now saying the gunman isn't dead and still at-large. The armed 21-year-old, Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr., was mistakenly killed by the cops. Although he didn't fire the rounds, officials allege that he was involved in "some aspect of the altercation" that resulted in a teenager and a 12-year-old girl getting shot. "We regret that our initial media release was not totally accurate, but new evidence indicates that it was not," said spokesman Capt. Gregg Rector.
See original story below.
Gunfire erupted at an Alabama shopping center late Thursday night, leaving two people injured and one dead.
The shooting took place at around 10 p.m. local time at the state's largest enclosed mall, Riverchase Galleria, according to CNN. Authorities say the shooting stemmed from a physical fight between two men ages 18 and 21. It's unclear what started the altercation, but at one point the 21-year-old pulled out a handgun and shot the other man twice in the torso. Two off-duty police officers who were working security at the mall heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene; the suspect was seen running away, prompting one of the cops to shoot him. The 21-year-old was pronounced dead shortly after.
Authorities say the 18-year-old, who was not believed to be armed, was in serious condition as he was transported to a nearby hospital. A 12-year-old girl was also shot during the incident; however, it's unclear if the bullet was fired by the gunman or the officer. Officials say the girl did not sustain life-threatening injuries.
CNN reports the officer who killed the gunman has been placed on administrative leave as the department investigates the shooting.
"Obviously our officers are well-trained and they go through different types of training throughout the year and they always do a good job responding," Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rectors told AL.com. "We were fortunate enough to have two officers near an active shooting scene and those officers rushed to that scene and encountered an individual who just shot someone, so we were fortunate that Hoover officer was where he needed to be and we believe he prevented further injuries. It’s obviously going to be a difficult situation and we’re fortunate it’s something that doesn’t happen often."
