SAN ANTONIO — Shoppers fled the South Park Mall Friday after a shooting at the food court. Medics took one person to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.
San Antonio Police Sgt. Washington Moscoso says authorities detained four or five young people for questioning, including the suspected shooter.
He said the altercation began as a sort of fight between two groups of young people who had a "previous history" with each other. The argument became physical and someone shot the victim around 2 p.m.
Shoppers dashed for the mall exits, witnesses said.
"All of a sudden, I see everybody running out of the mall. It looked like a movie," witness Agustin Mendez said.
Mendez said he stepped outside the mall, worried the group of young people would cause trouble. The crew had pestered him and other strangers inside, Mendez added.
"I was like, 'Yeah, something doesn't feel right. I've got to get out of here,'" he said. "I got out and literally 30 seconds later: 'Shots fired!'"
Mendez said he heard bystanders scrambling over food court tables and chairs to find safety.
"It's kind of like, 'This is America,' you know?" he said.
The shooter and the rest of the crew ran past Mendez on the way to an H-E-B across Southwest Military Drive. The store briefly locked down.
Mendez stayed at the mall to answer police officers' questions. South Park remained open, except for the food court area.
"It was a crazy day," Mendez said.
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