5 People Shot, Including A Small Child, At Tanger Outlets

GLENDALE, AZ — Five people were shot at Tanger Outlets in Glendale Wednesday afternoon, including a young child, Glendale police said.

A young man, a teenage girl and the young child, who came to the mall together, were taken to local hospitals, according to police. Two teens who were also shot at the mall showed up at a hospital later, police said. None of their injuries were considered life-threatening.

The shooting happened in the center of the mall around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday, according to Glendale Police Officer Tiffany Ngalula. Police suspect the young man, who was at the mall with the teenage girl and child, had a handgun with him. Police said he and two teens from another group got into a fight. Both groups fired shots, police said.

"The scene was very chaotic," Ngalula said during a news conference.

As of Wednesday evening, police believed that everyone involved in the shooting was accounted for.

The mall, the Westgate Entertainment District and surrounding hotels were all on lockdown into the evening Wednesday as police conducted searches, collected evidence and interviewed witnesses. There were hundreds of people in the mall when the shooting occurred, police said, and many of them sheltered in backrooms of stores during the lockdown. Police had expected to be at the mall throughout Wednesday night to ensure they'd collected as much evidence as possible, Ngalula said during a news conference.

"This was a super traumatic scene for everyone involved," Ngalula said, adding that the police department has resources available for victims, witnesses and first responders who are struggling in the aftermath of the shooting.

Police advised the public to avoid the area Wednesday night, unless they were waiting to be reunited with a loved one who was inside the mall when the shooting happened.

"Our prayers are with those impacted and the brave law enforcement professionals responding to this emergency," Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted after the shooting.