Christiana Mall shooting started when 3 men ganged up on another man by food court: Police

The shooting that caused chaos at the Christiana Mall on Saturday evening began as an altercation between four men and then escalated into a melee, resulting in three people shot, one accidentally, Delaware State Police said.

Troopers were called to the mall's food court entrance about 6:45 p.m. after receiving reports of the shooting. The gunfire caused shoppers to flee in droves.

What do we know about the shooters and the victims?

Through their investigation, police learned that three men, whom they still have not identified, confronted an 18-year-old man as he was leaving the food court. The men began physically attacking the victim, police said.

The victim's two friends quickly jumped in to help, which is when one of the suspects pulled a gun from his waist and began shooting. The 18-year-old and his 16-year-old friend were both hit by three rounds "in the torso and the lower extremities," police said.

WHAT WE KNOW: Christiana Mall shooting: What we know about the gunfire that left 3 injured Saturday

A third man, an 18-year-old who was standing on the sidewalk outside of the mall, was also hit by one round "in the lower extremity." All three were taken to a local hospital, where they were listed as "stable."

Police said the suspects are three males in their late teens. They were wearing all dark clothing during the shooting, police said.

Community gathers in prayer near mall food court

Local gun violence prevention activists gathered Monday afternoon in the wake of Saturday evening's shooting that left three people with bullet wounds and several others injured.

Margaret Guy, who heads the nonprofit Stop the Violence Prayer Chain and organized this gathering, said the horror of Saturday's incident hit close to the heart of why she campaigns to end violence. Her nonprofit offers programs to at-risk youth ages 4-17 to keep them away from activities that lead to violence and turmoil.

"I had teenagers from my program shopping in the mall at that time," Guy said, adding that she received frantic calls from participants in her program who are now traumatized by the experience.

Thankful that none of the children in her program were physically injured, Guy said she wanted to do something to try to bring an end to the violence — and to make it known to everyone involved that someone cares. They were there at Christiana Mall Monday to pray, walk and hold signs.

TEEN SPEAKS: 'I didn't want to die. I wasn't ready': Teen details escape from Christiana Mall shooting

Their prayers were for everybody, including the teens who were shot and the perpetrators of violence.

"We pray that they get well and we pray that these people put these guns down, that these teens stop getting all of these guns," Guy said.

A small contingent of activists from various anti-violence groups met in the parking lot by Mall Road and formed a circle. They prayed for love, peace, and unity as a group. Some participants stepped inside the circle and spoke about the need for more support for families, mental health services, and restrictions on access to guns.

Anne McWalter, a leader in Delaware's chapter of the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action, said they were there to support Guy's efforts, but they want more legislative action further restricting access to guns in the First State.

Last year, Gov. John Carney signed a package of bills that addressed gun ownership and gun safety, including a prohibition on the sale of assault weapons, raising the minimum age to purchase most firearms to 21, and allowing gun manufacturers and dealers to be held liable for reckless or negligent actions that lead to gun violence.

The group wants lawmakers to again take up the permit-to-purchase bill that never made it out of the House Appropriations committee last year. If passed into law, it would require a permit, fingerprinting, firearm training and gun safety training to purchase a firearm.

McWalter said they are not trying to stop people from buying a gun, but they want to make it harder for "some people who should not have guns."

In trying to figure out how to react to what happened at the mall, Guy advised people to continue living their lives.

"Don't let these people run you away from doing normal, happy, everyday things," she said.

Mall-goers recount fears

Those present at the mall during the shooting on Saturday said the incident was terrifying.

One girl, 13-year-old Penny, was with her younger sister, Lily, her brother, Andy and a family friend while their parents had a date night in Pennsylvania.

Penny, who called her mom after the shots rang out, said she thought she was going to die.

Her mother said the call was "the scariest thing I ever had to listen to."

MALL-GOERS SPEAK: Christiana Mall shooting: What we know about the gunfire that left 3 injured Saturday

Others who were at the mall that evening shared similar sentiments in social media posts and outside the mall Saturday night.

Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Christiana Mall shooting: 3 men attacked man by food court, police say