At least three people have been shot after a gunman, reportedly wielding an AR-15 style rifle at the time of the attack, opened fire at a mall outside Phoenix, Arizona. One suspect has been apprehended.
The incident unfolded about 7:25pm local time at the Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale, a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, nine miles northwest of Phoenix.
At least three people were shot, including one critically, ABC reported, citing local police. Witnesses, including Arizona State Sen. Martín Quezada, reported that there are “multiple victims” resulting from the incident.
Please stay out of the #Westgate area. Preliminary info from our dispatch is there were at least two persons struck by gunfire and one person is in custody. PIO is enroute to the scene. Media staging for now will be West of the Arena.
While police so far have not released details on the shooter’s weapon of choice, Quezada, who shared his account of the incident on Twitter, reported that the individual was armed with an AR-15.
“I just witnessed an armed terrorist with an AR-15 shoot up Westgate. There are multiple victims.”
I saw 2 victims with my own eyes. Not sure how many others I saw the shooter. Being told not to say anything else about details ’til I speak to police. I’m ok. Lots of shaken up people.
Swarm of law enforcement at a mall in Glendale, Arizona following a shooting at a mall that injured at least two people #GlendaleAz#WestGatehttps://t.co/gcVCJxK2Zmpic.twitter.com/OimmEc9vWJ
A massive police presence has been reported at the scene, with videos showing dozens of police cars rushing to the mall.
Footage has surfaced on social media purportedly filmed by the alleged gunman, identifying himself as Armando Junior Hernandez. The video consists of several edits, showing a cache of weapons, Hernandez driving to the site, as well as the alleged moment of the shooting.
“My name is Armando Junior Hernandez and I’m going to be the shooter of Westgate, 2020. That’s to get back to mean society. Let’s get this done,” the man says casually in one of the clips. Another video shows him firing rounds into a dark alley.
The disturbing footage concludes with an interaction between the alleged gunman and one of his victims who is seen lying on the ground in a parking lot after apparently being shot.
The woman can be heard pleading with the attacker as he suggests his motives, saying: “Society is bulls**t. Society is f**king s**t.” RT cannot independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
Glendale Police said that they were working with multiple agencies, including the FBI, to carry out searches of nearby buildings and businesses to ensure that there are no other victims.
Wow, I just watched the video the #Westgate shooter in Glendale, AZ posted on Snapchat, which I will not repost. He’s wearing a facemask and says he’s doing it to “get back to society.” He argues with a woman lying on the ground who says “you already got me dude!”. Creepy stuff.
@GlendaleAZPD hi there my name is hailli and I was sent an instagram video of a man who said he is the one who was going to go “shoot up” Westgate. I am not sure if you have seen the video but the username of the page this video is on is @bigswayy_prod. I hope this help
The state government will do everything it can to provide support to victims and the wider community, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey vowed in a statement posted on Twitter. He extended his condolences to individuals and families who were affected, and praised first responders and police who arrived at the scene.
Our hearts and prayers are with the individuals and families impacted tonight, as well as the first responders and police officers who are on the scene. The state is here to continue to offer its full support to the victims and to the community. https://t.co/rAxAGMPk5x
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