Man accused of shooting 9-year-old girl in mall makes first court appearance
A former Victorville shoe store owner made his first court appearance Monday for allegedly opening fire at shoplifters but hitting a 9-year-old girl three times instead.
Marquel Cockrell, 20, was charged with assault with a firearm, discharge of a firearm with gross negligence and carrying an unregistered firearm. The San Bernardino District Attorney's Office dropped the original attempted murder charge.
Cockrell allegedly opened fire on the shoplifters just before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Mall of Victor Valley. He missed the shoplifters but hit the girl, Ava, who was taking pictures with the Easter Bunny. She suffered two through-and-through gunshot wounds. An additional round struck her arm, shattering the bone. She was airlifted to Loma Linda Medical Center but was released later that week.
The gunman ran from the mall but was found by Nevada Highway Patrol at about 9.m. that night. He was then extradited to California and is being held at the High Desert Detention Facility.
Doctors hope to re-mold Ava's bones during her next operation Tuesday morning at Loma Linda Medical Center.
Amairani Sanchez, who co-owns the shoe store Sole Addicts with Cockrell, expressed her heartfelt sorrow claiming she would permanently close the shop.
"I don't care about the shop," Sanchez said in an interview on April 13. "That little girl, she's in my prayers."
