Monroeville police say a shooting that prompted an evacuation of Monroeville Mall on Friday evening was a “targeted event” that involved an altercation between two groups of men.
Police Chief Doug Cole said police received no reports of any injuries in the shooting at the first-floor entrance to the Macy’s Backstage store. They had made no arrest and were looking for suspects Friday night.
Police did not say whether they had any leads on any suspects, but Cole expressed confidence that video surveillance footage and license plate recognition software will lead to an arrest. The Allegheny County Crime Lab is assisting.
Firefighters said the call for the shooting came in around 8 p.m at 200 Mall Circle Drive.
According to Cole, two groups of men became involved in an altercation near the center of the mall and then moved toward the Macy’s store. One of the groups was outside the store and another was inside, when at least one person in the group outside fired at least 10 rounds of gunfire into the mall, Cole said.
Monroeville police chief just confirmed someone fired at least 10 rounds into the Macy’s entrance.
No one has reported any injuries.
Started with an altercation between two groups of men in middle of mall and ended with 1 firing into Macy’s.
No one apprehended yet @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/EiaqZveM5d
— Natasha Lindstrom (@NewsNatasha) April 13, 2019
Four bullet holes were visible in the glass-paned, first-floor entrance doors of the Macy’s Backstage store. More than a dozen evidence markers were placed where officials found shell casings outside the store entrance.
Mall officials tweeted that “Monroeville Police responded immediately and made the decision to clear the mall out of an abundance of caution. We will work with them as they continue their investigation.”
We're aware of an incident that occurred that the mall. Monroeville Police responded immediately and made the decision to clear the mall out of an abundance of caution. We will work with them as they continue their investigation.
— Monroeville Mall (@MonroevilleMall) April 13, 2019
Cole said stores on both levels were on lockdown for about a half hour as police made sure there were no suspects or injured people in the mall. Then police used loudspeakers to advise people to slowly evacuate the mall.
Portions of the other end of the mall seemed almost unaffected in the minutes following the shooting.
The Cinemark movie theater remained open.
Nancy Osinski, 66, of Churchill said she was seeing a movie when she glanced at her phone and saw eight missed calls from her daughter, who was concerned about her safety after learning of the shooting via social media.
She and several others left the mall wondering what happened and eager to get home safely.
Multiple bullet holes are visible in the glass-planed doors at the entrance to Macy’s at Monroeville Mall.
Officials slowly are evacuating the rest of the mall as they investigate the shooting. @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/DJlxfhJJqY
— Natasha Lindstrom (@NewsNatasha) April 13, 2019
Cole said the incident was “not an active shooter event.” He said nobody should be discouraged from visiting the mall over safety concerns.
He said police will review surveillance video from the mall as they continue their investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Monroeville police at 412-856-1111.
Deidra Jenkins, an executive assistant from Penn Hills, was inside Macy’s when she heard what sounded like as many as eight consecutive pops.
Soon after, she saw a woman grab her baby. Then everyone took off running. She found a way out through an employees-only door.
Deidra Jenkins, an executive assistant from #PennHills, was inside Macy’s when she heard what sounded like as many as 8 consecutive pops.
Soon after, she saw a woman grab her baby. Then everyone took off running. She found a way out through an employees-only door @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/U3LJaSlAdQ
— Natasha Lindstrom (@NewsNatasha) April 13, 2019
Stylists Ally Kollar and Asheley Johnson were working at the Regis salon on the second floor of the mall at the time of the incident.
Kollar said there was no panic or commotion upstairs and did not know about the shooting until a police officer came into the salon and advised them to close for the day.
The pair said people on the second floor appeared nonchalant and left the mall as if nothing had happened.
A shooting occurred at the Monroeville Macy’s store in February 2015, when a juvenile was accused of wounding three others. That incident occurred six weeks after a brawl in the mall that involved hundreds of teenagers.
