Charges filed, details released in Fashion Place Mall shooting
MURRAY, Utah (ABC4) — Court documents officially filing charges against the alleged shooter who “emptied his clip” in the parking lot of Fashion Place Mall unveiled new details of what took place on Saturday, Jan. 13.
Two weeks ago, Imanuill Ahmed, 18, was taken into custody following a shooting that took place in the Fashion Place Mall parking lot near The Container Store. In court documents released earlier this week, police reported reviewing surveillance video and hearing from witnesses what took place.
BACKGROUND: Teen arrested after ’emptying his clip’ in Fashion Place Mall shooting
According to the court documents, one man involved, only identified as “J.B.” said he was scheduled to work at the mall but woke up late. When he went to his kiosk to start his shift, he said there were several men wearing masks and hoods nearby. J.B. said they approached him, however, he didn’t know anyone in the group.
Feeling unsafe, J.B. left for his car and noticed the group was following him. He allegedly noticed one person in the group holding a gun and he got concerned that if he drove away, they would begin shooting.
Police say surveillance video shows J.B. get out of his car and begin talking to a group of four men before one of them, identified later as Ahmed, allegedly lifted a gun. While J.B. told police there was a “volley of shooting” that quickly stopped, surveillance footage appears to show J.B. also pulling a gun at this point, as well. However, charging documents say the parking lot surveillance camera panned away while shots were being fired and only returned to the scene in the aftermath.
Additional surveillance footage from a nearby business does show Ahmed firing at a retreating J.B., who then fired shots of his own.
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Several witnesses to the altercation said they saw the group of men arguing with a “sole male” that escalated into a shooting before everyone fled the scene.
Ahmed was later taken into custody and reported that J.B. had shot first so he shot back and fired “the whole clip.” Police reported finding eight 9mm shell casings matching the gun Ahmed had allegedly fired. Surveillance footage showed Ahmed later hiding his gun under a nearby trash compactor.
Ahmed was formally charged with eight counts of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm as well as a third-degree felony charge for riot with bodily injury or property damage and third-degree felony obstructing justice.
As of Thursday, Jan. 25, no other charges have been filed for anyone else involved.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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