A legally armed bystander is a hero after helping thwart a Pennsylvania mall shooting earlier this week.
What are the details?
A
media release from the Lancaster Bureau of Police detailed the harrowing moments before the unnamed bystander stepped in.
According to the report, an unnamed 16-year-old male started shooting after engaging in a fight with another person. The teen, according to
WGAL-TV, pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots.
At that point, the report noted, multiple people became involved in a struggle for the gun.
The legally armed bystander intervened and was able to hit the teen suspect, sending him to the ground.
According to the release, “An uninvolved bystander was in a nearby store and heard the first set of gunshots. This bystander was armed with their own, legally possessed firearm.”
“The armed bystander then engaged the subjects fighting over the gun and fired shots, striking one of the subjects,” the release explained. “The struggled [sic] ended and the bystander waited at the scene until officers from the Lancaster City Police and Park City Security arrived and took control of the scene. The bystander was interviewed and released. The district attorney will be responsible for determining if the actions of the bystander were lawful and justified, upon the completion of the investigation.”
Three males and one female, including the teenage suspect, were treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds sustained in the attack.
Witness Hana Ali said that the Good Samaritan’s presence likely made all the difference.
“I don’t know what he did before, but at that moment, he is the one that should be — he is a hero,” Ali, an Iraqi native, said. “It reminds me of the Desert Storm war when I was there. It was awful. The sounds of shooting, it’s really bringing things back to you. It’s so terrifying.”
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the the incident, including the bystander’s actions. Formal charges against the 16-year-old suspect are pending. Video captured the aftermath of the shooting.
Content warning: Rough language:
Park City Center mall shooting video
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