Video: 2 shot at Southcenter Mall

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TUKWILA, Wash. - A young gunman remained at large early Sunday following a shooting at a suburban Seattle shopping mall that left one teenager dead and another seriously wounded.

Security guards were visible as the mall reopened Sunday morning.

At least four or five people were detained and questioned after the shooting Saturday afternoon at Southcenter Mall, but none was the shooter, police Officer Mike Murphy said.

Murphy said Sunday the shooting stemmed from a fight between two groups totaling no more than half a dozen people "who were angry with each other" and may have been gang related, adding that police expected to identify the gunman and make an arrest soon.

Harborview Medical Center confirmed that the teen who died is 16-year-old Daiquan L. Jones. The second victim, 16-year-old Jermaine McGowan, was initially listed in critical condition Saturday night, but was later upgraded to serious condition.

Both victims are well known to law enforcement. Jones just got out of jail on Friday. McGowan was due in court Monday on burglary charges.

Police say an altercation in the mall's south end preceeded the shooting.

The shooter opened fire on the ground floor near the south main entrance of the mall in a corridor between BJ's Brewhouse and Racha Thai and Asian Kitchen.

"They were both inside the mall on the first level in the new section of the mall," said Murphy of the victims. "We don't have any information so far as far as what led up to the shots."

The shooting suspect is described as a black man in his late teens to early 20s, 5-foot 6-inches tall, 145 pounds. He may have been wearing some sort of black track suit with red piping. He has short hair and no facial hair.

"He had a black pistol with him," Murphy said. "He shot several rounds. We haven't got a round count yet, but he did hit two people."

Thousands of people were in the mall when the shots rang out.

"Nobody else has been injured as a result of this," Murphy said.

SWAT teams from all over Puget Sound converged on the mall to help search for the suspect.

Police locked down the mall as they searched store to store for the shooter. They weren't sure if the suspect left with the crowd or if he was still inside.

The sheer size of the mall complicated the search. The mall recently completed a $240 million expansion and now covers 1.7 million square feet of space with more than 240 stores.

Police detained two people, but said they were still looking for the shooter. It's not clear what either person's connection to the shooting was.

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Police were searching for a suspect after a double shooting Saturday at Southcenter Mall.

Witness Kayla Shaw said she saw someone being handcuffed before she was evacuated.

"We were just eating our lunch and all the sudden gunshots started going off," she told KING 5. "It was like a stampede of people … there were actually people jumping off the balcony where the food court is at. It was crazy."

"We heard two shots," shopper Cindy Stephenson said. "There was pandemonium … All the parents were screaming trying to get their kids."

Julie Kintner was in the mall when shots were fired.

"I was getting a Cinnabon and all of the sudden I hear this pop and I turn around," she said. "I hear another pop and I look over the rail as far as I could see and people just started running."

Police say there was another shooting at about 6:40 p.m. Friday outside the mall. No one was hit and it's not clear whether there is a connection to Saturday's incident.

On Sunday, mall management released a statement, saying:

"First and foremost the safety of Westfield Southcenter shoppers and employees is paramount and always a priority. 

Although we must decline to comment on an active investigation, we are very grateful for the rapid response of the Tukwila Police.  The center is cooperating fully with the law enforcement investigation. 

Westfield Southcenter has resumed its regular schedule of operations, and continues to work with Tukwila Police to keep our shopping center safe.

Clearly, such a senseless act in our community heightens everyone's state of awareness and concern.  Our security precautions reflect that heightened state.  If shoppers feel uncomfortable and/or observe any suspicious behavior in our center we hope they will report such immediately to our security, management or customer service personnel."