LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Police responded to a shooting at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood on Wednesday evening after a fight in the food court. A 13-year-old girl, who was not involved in the altercation, was shot and has died from her injuries.
Two groups in the food court got into a fight, during which a teenage boy fired a gun just after 6 p.m., said Deputy Chief Patrick Fagan of the Lynnwood Police Department.
A 16-year-old boy from Edmonds was identified as the suspected shooter. He was brought to the police station by his mother and is booked into jail for murder, police said on Wednesday night.
The teen girl, who was nearby and not involved with either of the groups, was shot. She was transported to the hospital and has died from her injuries. Police identified the girl as 13-year-old Jayda Woods-Johnson.
"The mall is a place for the whole community to gather … this is really an altercation between two groups,” Fagan said, adding it is “frustrating” for the whole community. He expressed his condolences to the girl's family.
The teens in both groups, including the suspect who fired the gun, fled from the mall. The gun used in the shooting has not been located.
A witness told KING 5 she saw many people running toward the mall's exits, who were saying there was a shooting and to get out of the mall.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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