A 17-year old male suspect, as well as a 21-year-old female suspect, have been arrested in connection with the shooting at Valley Fair Mall in San Jose that injured three people, including a 16-year old girl. The shooting occurred Friday, Nov. 28.
The San Jose Police Department confirmed the shooting was gang-related and that the juvenile suspect was on probation for other firearm charges at the time.
Police said the 17-year-old pulled a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and opened fire on a rival gang member just outside Macy’s on the second level of the promenade, leaving Black Friday shoppers running for cover.
Police said the 21-year-old female suspect was walking with the 17-year-old while pushing a stroller with a baby when she allegedly helped him escape.
“He opened fire at his perceived rival in the middle of the mall with babies and bystanders all around him,” San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said. “He fired multiple rounds, hitting his intended target, as well as a teenage girl and an adult woman who just happened to be passing by.”
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen referred to the events of that night as “terrorism.”
“We will be filing serious charges against at least two of the individuals, including the shooter in the next two days,” Rosen said. “I’ll have more information about those charges at the arraignment in the next two days.”
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said young offenders in crimes like these are being exploited by gangs to do their bidding.
“I’m afraid that if we don’t change the way our system holds young repeat offenders accountable, we may be providing a perverse incentive for gangs to recruit children at younger and younger ages,” Mahan said.
The mall has since reopened with enhanced police and security patrols and, all victims are expected to survive.
Video Transcript:
0:00
[Gavin Rust]
Behind me here at San Jose Police Headquarters on West Mission Street, we’re learning more about the suspect behind Valley Fair’s Black Friday shooting. He is a male and he is a juvenile, 17 years old and apparently has a checkered past, including prior convictions for firearm-related crimes. Police Chief Paul Joseph, as well as San Jose, mayor Matt Mahan and Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, gave a statement, let’s take a look.
0:24
[Police Chief Paul Joseph]
The incident began when a group of individuals decided to go to the mall wearing gang-related clothing, with one carrying a gun tucked inside his waistband. Not surprisingly, a conflict arose with another group from an apparent rival gang inside the mall. What was truly shocking was that the juvenile suspect with the gun was accompanied by a female pushing a baby in a stroller. He opened fire at his perceived rival in the middle of the mall with babies and bystanders all around him. He fired multiple rounds hitting his intended target, as well as a teenage girl and an adult woman who just happened to be passing by. Indiscriminate gunshots were fired across the mall breezeway leaving free injured of miraculously no one dead. Because a suspect is a juvenile, I’m limited in what I can disclose about him, but I can talk about the reality we keep seeing over and over again:
Young offenders with prior firearm arrests receiving little to no consequences, getting another gun and escalating their violence, and that appears to be the case here. In february of this year, this suspect fled from San Jose PD gang enforcement officers and was found to have a loaded gun in his waistband. The suspect’s case resulted in a deferred entry of judgment. The suspect was placed on a probation plan of sorts, which required him to, among other things, obey all laws. Earlier this year, I stood here and talked about a 13-year-old murder suspect whose potential consequences seem more appropriate for stealing a car than taking a life. Our officers have a limited ability to prevent this kind of juvenile violence when our juvenile laws are so weak. Young offenders feel almost no fear of consequences. They bring guns into our malls and fire them indiscriminately.
2:08
[San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan]
I’m going to say again what I said back in February. I’m afraid that if we don’t change the way our system holds young repeat offenders accountable, we may be providing a perverse incentive for games to recruit children at younger and younger ages.
2:28
[Gavin Rust]
Now, we tried getting an interview with Matt Mahan about where he thinks the issue begins regarding the lax laws against specifically minors convicted of these major gun charges. We wanted to figure out where the process gets tricky. It’s one thing to call for the change, but then, wondering why it hasn’t happened yet, we wanted to ask him about that. However, his chief communications officer did block us from interviewing him saying he had other meetings to attend to. That being said, we are going to reach out to Mayor Matt Mahan’s office and see if he’ll be willing to answer some questions about where he thinks the issue begins over email. We’ll bring you updates as that comes in.
3:03
[Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen ]
As I speak, the DA’s office is hard at work reviewing the evidence for this reckless and violent crime. We will be filing serious charges against at least two of the individuals, including the shooter in the next two days. I’ll have more information about those charges at the arraignment in the next two days.
3:24
[Gavin Rust]
Now, many of you viewers on our social media platforms have said that there were issues with emergency doors not working at the mall– those doors that say an alarm will sound if they are pushed, and we asked them about that and they said they had never heard of that until we brought it up here. So we’ll let you know as more information comes out about that and if they’re investigating. We also asked them if the fire department or any other agency is investigating that complaint and they said again, they had not heard about it, but once again, we did alert them to it from our end at La Voz News and we’ll see what they do next.
