San Jose shooting suspect: What we know so far about the 17-year-old juvenile with alleged gang links
San Jose police arrested a 17-year-old tied to the Black Friday shooting; the teen was already on probation for a gun offense.
The San Jose Police Department announced that they had arrested a 17-year-old male in connection with the Black Friday Shooting on December 1, Monday.
The department shared a photo of the suspect in handcuffs without his face on social media with the message, “Ladies and gentlemen, we got him.” His name, however, is not revealed as he is a minor.
A 21-year-old woman who was seen pushing a stroller on surveillance video was also taken into custody on suspicion of aiding the suspect’s escape. Prosecutors say she has a familial relationship with the teen; she is expected to face charges.
Also read: 4-year-old Indian boy recalls Westfield Valley Fair Mall shooting
Gang-related suspicion
According to the police, preliminary evidence suggests the shooting was gang-related. The suspect and his group allegedly wore “gang-related clothing,” and police believe he mistook the male victim for a rival gang member.
The San Jose chief of police, Paul Joseph, said at the news conference, “Not surprisingly, a conflict arose with another group from an apparent rival gang inside the mall."
According to SFGATE, one of the people who was shot was considered to be the suspect’s “intended target” from the rival group, Joseph said. The man who was shot and the suspect, according to investigators, "didn't interact much" before the shooting and were strangers before Friday.
According to the police, the suspect was on probation at the time of the shooting for a prior firearms offence. He had been arrested earlier this year for carrying a loaded gun. Joseph criticized California’s juvenile justice framework, arguing that lenient sentencing contributed to emboldening young offenders.
He told the Los Angeles Times, “Young offenders feel almost no fear of consequences. They bring guns into our malls and fire indiscriminately. I’m not sure what tragedy will finally be the watershed moment when we fix what is clearly broken.”
Read more: 'Heard 15 gunshots': Westfield Valley Fair shooting witnesses describe horror
Shooting details: motive, victims and aftermath
The shooting occurred on the evening of November 28, around 5:30 p.m., on the upper floor near the Macy's store. According to police, a verbal altercation between the suspect and an adult male from the rival group escalated, and the teen opened fire after pulling a handgun from his waistband.
Three people were struck, who are the intended target (an adult man), an adult woman and a 16-year-old girl. Stray bullets apparently hit the latter two. All victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have since been discharged from the hospital.
The incident sent hundreds of shoppers into panic. According to ABC7 San Francisco, Eyewitnesses described chaos inside the mall, saying that people were diving for cover, some hiding behind clothes racks, others using store rooms or even bathrooms for shelter.
The mall was shut down temporarily. Police and mall management reopened it on Saturday afternoon with increased security presence.
Minor suspect and the 21-year-old aide
The suspect's case may open under juvenile justice provisions rather than standard adult criminal procedures initially. This could influence the severity of possible charges and sentencing.
Prosecutors may also face challenges establishing the role of the 21-year-old female accomplice since the defense may seek to argue duress or lack of knowledge. Her familial relationship with the teen will also be scrutinized, according to SFGATE.
CBS reported that Mayor Matt Mahan described the shooting as a wake-up call for Silicon Valley, calling for more community-based interventions and rethinking juvenile justice norms.
