Two people injured after fight breaks out at Parks Mall at Arlington
ARLINGTON — Police are searching for a gunman after two people were shot at the Parks Mall at Arlington Thursday night.
An eyewitness tells CBS News Texas he saw three people attack a man in the middle of the mall, when one of the attackers took out a gun and fired a shot into the air.
Police say the incident happened inside the mall in the corridor near the ice skating rink. In a post on X, Arlington PD confirms two people were transported to an area hospital. In a press conference, Sgt. Courtney White confirmed that both victims were shot and are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
UPDATE (10:15pm): We're told the two people who were transported to the hospital have non-life threatening injuries.
— Arlington, TX Police (@ArlingtonPD) December 29, 2023
No arrests have been made at this point. The investigation is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/nL0IUi3GX6
"I was with my friends and we were waiting for drinks and all of a sudden we hear this bang," said Camila Labastida, a 13-year-old girl who was at the mall with friends at the time of the shooting. "We thought maybe it was a hockey stick breaking and we ran to the nearest store."
She said she hid with a friend and customers in a storage room where they sat in the dark with their phones off.
"Just so many possibilities," Labastida said. "So many what ifs in that situation. It was crazy."
Labastida's parents rushed to the mall when they heard news of the shooting to make sure their daughter was okay.
"You can't imagine the feeling of, you know, you're powerless," her father said. "You just have to ask the Lord to bless my daughter."
The Arlington Police Department held a press conference Thursday night with details of the investigation so far.
You can watch that press conference below.