Authorities say one person was murdered and three others were injured in a shooting at a mall in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday evening. Two male suspects have been apprehended.
The incident was reported around 5:05 p.m. local time at the Cielo Vista Mall, interim El Paso police chief Peter Pacillas stated at a press conference late Wednesday night.
Pacillas reported that within three minutes of the shooting, off-duty cops manning security at the mall had reacted, and one of them had taken a suspect into custody.
“We had off-duty officers working at the local establishment within the mall, and were on scene at 5:08 p.m., within three minutes,” Pacillas said, adding that the off-duty officer detained the man without using a firearm.
Police stated that one victim was pronounced dead at the spot and three others were sent to local hospitals.
According to the Associated Press, the University Medical Center in El Paso stated in a statement that two victims being treated there were in critical condition. There was no immediate information regarding the condition of the third injured individual.
According to Pacillas, all four victims were men.
The police chief did not specify how the second suspect was caught, nor did he immediately provide the names, ages, or descriptions of the victims or suspects.
Pacillas stated of the situation, “There is no more danger to the public,”
Around an earlier briefing, El Paso police Sgt. Robert Gomez told reporters that the investigation showed the incident occurred “in the approximate area of the food court, but that was not confirmed.”
There were no initial reports of a motive.
Multiple agencies, including the FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Border Patrol, reacted to the incident. Pacillas stated that the FBI was supporting El Paso police with their investigation. The special agent in charge of the El Paso Field Office of the FBI, Jeffrey Downey, lauded the off-duty officer who detained the first suspect.
“A great deal of credit needs to go out to the off-duty officer that was at the mall this evening, and was able to get one of these individuals in custody in a very quick amount of time,” said Downey.
Pacillas stated that the mall will stay “locked down” until the initial inquiry was over.
The attack occurred exactly one week after the 24-year-old gunman in the 2019 mass shooting at a local Walmart, in which 23 people were killed by a man who intentionally targeted Hispanics, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime and firearms charges. This Walmart is located just next the Cielo Vista Mall.
As part of a plea bargain, Patrick Crusius consented to accept 90 consecutive life terms, one for each count in the indictment.
»El Paso mall shooting kills one, wounds three; two suspects detained«