Two teenage boys were injured in a shooting that arose from a dispute at a San Bruno mall Tuesday afternoon and the suspects are still at large a day later, police said.
An officer on the ground floor food court first heard gunshots at 3:56 p.m. on the second floor of The Shops at Tanforan, located at 1150 El Camino Real. Police responded to find one victim shot in the abdomen and the other in the leg, and began providing emergency medical support.
The boys were transported to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital by 4:22 p.m. and hundreds of mall goers were evacuated from the building while law enforcement and SWAT teams searched the area for suspects. Brent Andrew, spokesman for the hospital, said both victims were in serious condition as of Wednesday morning.
Police believe a dispute between two groups of people on the second floor of the mall led to the shooting. One person from each group began shooting at each other, and both fled the area before officers arrived. No weapons were found at the scene and police believe the victims are associated with the groups involved in the shooting.
The San Bruno BART station, which has a connected entrance from the mall, was closed down after the shooting. Oakland and BART police began supporting the investigation after they received information that the suspects may have taken BART to the East Bay.
Police are currently collecting and reviewing video surveillance from the mall, BART and surrounding areas. Wednesday night police released a video of part of shooting that was captured by closed circuit TV in the mall.
Police Cmdr. Geoff Caldwell said:
“We are deeply concerned by the shooting that transpired yesterday, and are working hard to identify the perpetrators.”
“To be clear, our number one goal is to identify and arrest the persons responsible for the shooting.”
In a statement released about the shooting, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, said:
“I am relieved that nobody died and my heart goes out to the two victims who are still hospitalized and to all the people who were traumatized by this senseless act of violence.”
Officers recovered items left behind by shoppers as they fled the mall. Anyone with lost items can call (650) 616-7100 or go to the police station to retrieve their property. The mall had reopened as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, according to a management employee.
Witnesses with information about the shooting can email [email protected].
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