Multiple Suspects Still At Large After Opening Fire At Utah Mall, Injuring Two
A shooting incident took place at a Utah mall earlier today, leaving at least two people injured, per the New York Daily News.
Local law enforcement is currently attempting to track down multiple suspects who opened fire at Fashion Place Mall, located on South State Street in Murray, Utah. As the Salt Lake Tribune details, police have stated that two people were injured in the shooting. The two victims have been transported to Intermountain Medical Center, though, at this time, reports indicate that the two are not critically injured.
In an effort to evacuate all patrons to safety, police officers directed and escorted mallgoers outside, gathering at a nearby Taco Bell, and a Red Lobster located close by.
While reports and eyewitness accounts are still being reported on, a few mallgoers and employees have given their accounts of the events which transpired. Stella Fonseca, who works as an assistant manager at Claire’s, was one of the evacuees who was taken to the aforementioned Red Lobster.
“There was a sense of panic,” she recounted. Before she was evacuated from the mall, Fonseca helped to barricade a back storeroom, in an effort to protect both herself, her fellow co-workers, and four Claire’s customers.
My best friend is in a back room at @CrateandBarrel right now as there are reports of an active shooter at #fashionplacemall. She just sent me this picture. @fox13 pic.twitter.com/xcMd2iybyB
— Allison Croghan (@AllisonCroghan) January 13, 2019
Another mall employee, Abbigail Loveridge, was working when the gunfire broke out. At the time, Loveridge heard a fire alarm, followed shortly by a handful of gunshots.
“People started running. Right in front of our store, I watched people get shot down,” Loveridge detailed. “Women and children are getting trampled, especially little kids.”
Mall employees weren’t the only ones to recount the horrid experience. Carol Spackman Moss, who is a Democratic member of the Utah State House, was visiting Fashion Place Mall at the time of the incident. The state representative was hoping to get in a little shopping and some exercise, which was cut short when the fire alarm rang out.
Just evacuated from Fashion Place Mall. Active shooter. Heard that two people shot. #utpol
— Carol Moss (@RepCarolMoss) January 13, 2019
Moss was able to safely evacuate from the mall. She took to Twitter to report on the shooting, and replied to a handful of other tweets, in an effort to keep others informed of the situation.
“It is the real deal,” said Moss, as she waited in heavy traffic, attempting to leave the mall after it had been evacuated. “It can happen anywhere, but it is really startling when it does.”
At the time of writing, the total number of victims — and the status of their conditions — is still unknown.
