16-Year-Old Jeremiahs Sanchez Charged In Park City Center Mall Shooting That Injured 3: Lancaster County DA
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- A 16-year-old is facing numerous charges after the Lancaster County District Attorney says he shot and injured three people at Park City Center mall over the weekend. Jeremiahs Josiah-Alberto Sanchez, 16, of Lancaster, is charged with two counts of criminal attempt homicide, three counts of aggravated assault, and 52 counts of recklessly endangering another person.
"It is very fortunate that more people were not hurt," District Attorney Heather Adams said.
On Sunday, Lancaster City Bureau of Police responded to the mall after reports of a shooting. According to witnesses and video, 18-year-old Elijah Deliz confronted Sanchez and three others in the JC Penney wing. Sanchez, Deliz, and 30-year-old Sergio Vargas, who was with Sanchez's group, started to fight. Police said this led to Sanchez pulling out a gun and firing shots.
Deliz was hit in the leg, and the other shot hit an innocent bystander. The gun Sanchez used was stolen out of Lebanon County. At the time he fired the shots, around 52 people were nearby, including small children.
A 50-year-old inside the mall heard the shots and arrived in the JC Penney wing with his own gun. He fired off a round, breaking up a scuffle between Sanchez and Vargas. When Sanchez fired at him, the 50-year-old shot back three times. One of the bullets hit Sanchez in the elbow, the others hitting a nearby wall.
The armed civilian held Sanchez at gunpoint until others arrived. District Attorney Adams said the civilian will not be charged for his involvement.
People inside the mall helped render aid to those who were injured. Adams said the incident happening inside a crowded mall is terrifying.
"Gun violence anywhere is unacceptable, but it is particularly unnerving when it happens on a Sunday afternoon in a crowded shopping mall filled with vulnerable children, families and seniors," Adams said. "It is equally disturbing that the shooter was a 16-year-old juvenile who was armed with a stolen gun. This entire incident that led to the safety of innocent civilians being put in danger is simply outrageous and we are committed to seeing justice is served."
Sanchez is still in the hospital and will be arraigned at a later time. The three other victims have been released from the hospital.
Anyone with information on the incident should call the Lancaster City Bureau of Police at 717-735-3301.