2 Teens Killed In Black Friday Shooting At Arden Fair Mall
ARDEN ARCADE (CBS13) – Two teenagers are dead after a shooting occurred at the Arden Fair mall on Friday evening, authorities said.
The Sacramento Police Department is calling it a targeted shooting.
Jamilia Land, a spokesperson for the family of the deceased, identified the victims Saturday as Dewayne James Jr., 19, and Sa'Quan Reed-James, 17.
Authorities only described him as an African American man in his 20s. Police also said this was not an active shooter situation and that there is no active threat at the mall at this time.
Following the shooting, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg issued a statement on concerns about the increase of gun violence in the city.
"A gun is never the answer," Steinberg tweeted.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are unknown at this time.
Friday's shooting comes as shoppers gathered for Black Friday deals. Arden Fair was scheduled to be open until 10 p.m. on Friday but closed early due to the shooting.
Community Activist Berry Accuis said he is in touch with the family of the victims. Accuis said they were shot unprovoked.
"I know that it's an isolated situation. Just a young man that didn't see it coming," he said.
Accuis added, "I don't want folks to create that narrative 'I can't go to the Arden mall. There are people shooting we are going to get shot.' That's not the situation at all. These were people who knew each other and for whatever reason, it had to end up being violent and tragic."
Accuis, the founder of Voice of the Youth, had a team of youth advocates inside the mall at the time of the shooting. He called this shooting a cry for help from the person responsible.
"You get blindsided by something like this but again this doesn't say we stop working. It's said we do more work. It means we have to continue doing the investments," he said. "You see it is at a critical stage if a young person feels that bold enough knowing that there are cameras, lights, police and all kinds of witnesses in broad daylight."
