Crime & Safety

17-Year-Old Dead In Shooting At West Phoenix Mall

A shooting at Desert Sky Mall has left a teenager dead and another person injured, according to Phoenix police officers.

PHOENIX, AZ — A 17-year-old boy was shot and killed during a weekend shooting at Desert Sky Mall in west Phoenix, authorities said.

The Phoenix Police Department have identifed Alejandro Martinez as the teenager who died in the hospital after sustaining injuries in the mall shooting. An unidentified 20-year-old man was also hospitalized with severe injuries but is expected to survive, police said.

Phoenix Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Williams said the two were shot at about 1 p.m. Sunday inside the mall arguing over merchandise with an employee who was working at a kiosk. One of the victims pulled out a handgun and was shot by the employee, according to Williams.

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Williams said employee is cooperating with the investigation as police work to determine exactly what happened. No arrests have been made.

A spokesperson for Desert Sky Mall did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

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Anyone with information is encouraged to call the department's Violent Crimes Bureau at (602) 262-6141. If you prefer to remain anonymous, call silent witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

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