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On Wednesday, February 15, a shooting at the Cielo Vista mall in El Paso, Texas, left one person dead and three others injured.
As per KFoxTV, the shooting took place at the food court of the shopping center, which is located at Interstate 10 and Hawkins Boulevard in Eastern El Paso. While the motivation for the shooting remains unknown, it is believed to have stemmed from a dispute. Two male suspects were arrested in connection to the case.
The Guardian reported that after the gunfire was brought to authorities' notice, there were fears that the shooting could be part of a mass shooting. This is because the Cielo Vista mall is near the location of the 2019 El Paso mass shooting, which led to 23 deaths and 22 injuries at a Walmart.
In the aftermath of the recent shooting, El Paso authorities urged members of the public to take shelter. Officials at the University Medical Center reported that they have admitted two victims in critical condition. A third victim was taken to the Del Sol Medical Center in stable condition.
Officials respond to the 2023 El Paso mall shooting
According to CNN, authorities responded to the shooting at approximately 5 pm.
Police Sgt. Robert Gomez described the scene in a statement:
“It was chaotic. People did flee. They were scared."
Peter Pacillas, the interim El Paso police chief, said that the situation was promptly dealt with by local authorities.
Pacillas said:
"It was quickly brought under control with the response of El Paso police and assisting agencies."
The city's District Attorney, Bill Hicks, commended the official response to the shooting.
Hicks said:
“We’ve seen a fantastic response from local, state, and federal law enforcement, it's been a fantastic coordination."
Jeff Downing, an FBI lead agent, said that an off-duty officer at the scene was also involved in apprehending the suspects.
Downing said:
"A great deal of credit needs to go to the off-duty officer who was at the mall and was able to get those individuals in custody in a very quick amount of time."
The Statesman noted that shortly after the shooting, the area was considered an active crime scene as officials gauged the nature of the threat. Several members of mall staff took shelter, while a nearby movie theater was shut down as a precaution.
While officials believe the scene is currently secure, they are still currently doing sweeps in the area to confirm that it is an isolated incident, and that there is no threat to the public anymore.
After the suspects were arrested, a reunification center was set up at a nearby high school in order for bystanders at the mall to gather near the crime scene.
The names of the suspects involved in the shooting have not yet been released.
