ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — There was extra security at Ross Park Mall Wednesday, just 24 hours after gunfire broke out in the parking lot and one man was shot.
>>> PHOTOS: Police respond to incident at Ross Park Mall <<<
Police from across the North Hills rushed to the mall Tuesday evening after reports of shots fired. Shoppers hid inside stores, and parents and children at a nearby ballfield ran for cover. One person was hit and later showed up at a hospital.
The shooting happened in the parking area near Dick’s House of Sports, close to the Ted Bartlett Memorial Field, where kids were playing baseball. Parents later posted on social media about the terrifying ordeal and praised coaches for keeping everyone calm and safe.
“Right now, we are on the investigation side, trying to determine what happened. We do know a number of people who were there, we were able to identify some people, … and we know there was an exchange of gunfire involving those people," said Ross Township Police Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhepp.
Shoppers and employees were still shaken Thursday.
“That’s so terrible. That’s a super traumatizing experience,” said Lexi Costanzo, who worked at the mall when there was a shooting back in 2021. “There’s trauma for people, especially little kids. You don’t really expect that when you’re going to a mall.”
Pittsburgh Police later tracked down the suspects’ Kia van near the border of Wilkinsburg and Pittsburgh.
Some shoppers and employees couldn’t even get to their cars in the aftermath.
“We didn’t hear anything except it was more the aftermath, and that my car is literally in the crime scene. A little scary,” said Stephanie Loftus, who works at Express.
In a statement to WPXI, Ross Park Mall said, “We are grateful for the swift response from local law enforcement to last night’s incident, and continue to support their investigation. We are committed to maintaining a strong security program at Ross Park Mall. This includes 24/7/365 video and operational surveillance, license plate readers, as well as a specially trained K9 and armed handler on-site. Out of an abundance of caution, there will be additional security at the center. Please refer any additional inquiries to the Ross Township Police Department.”
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