money Two teenagers dead after Black Friday mall shooting in California
Two teenagers died after being shot in a Sacramento mall during Black Friday shopping, officials said.
A 19-year-old man was found dead at the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, and a 17-year-old was taken to the hospital where he later died, according to a statement from city police.
The victims have not been identified publicly.
The shooting took place at around 6 p.m. Friday, forcing Black Friday shoppers and retail employees to evacuate during one of the year’s busiest retail shopping days.
“We can confirm at this point that this does appear to be an isolated incident and not the result of an active shooter,” Sacramento police spokesperson Karl Chan said late Friday at a news conference.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg on Twitter expressed concern over the increase in the city’s gun violence.
Gun assaults and homicides have surged in the California capital, where around 40 homicides have been reported this year, the Associated Press reported.
“We are deeply concerned by the increase in gun violence in Sacramento and other cities during the pandemic, and have supported increasing our efforts to reach young people at risk,” Steinberg wrote in a tweet Friday night. “A gun is never the answer.”
The suspect has not yet been identified by police, who believe it was an isolated incident.
Contributing: Associated Press. Follow Joshua Bote on Twitter: @joshua_bote.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sacramento, Calif. Black Friday mall shooting: Two teens dead
