Three people were shot at a common and prominent shopping complex near Phoenix on Wednesday night and the gunman was in custody, police said in suburban Glendale.
The police responded at around 7:25 p.m. to the Westgate Entertainment District According to Glendale police spokesperson Tiffany Ngalula, after receiving multiple reports of a shooting in the area.
Ngalula said 3 people were shot at a nearby hospital with one in critical condition. The other two victims received threatening injuries from non-life.
When police arrived at the scene the shooting was no longer active, Ngalula said.
The shooter was found in the Westgate area, which Ngalula did not identify. Ngalula said he was “challenged” by police and was able to take him safely into custody.
On Wednesday night a video circulated on social media, appearing to show a man claiming to be the shooter. One of the videos showed a semi-automatic rifle at the target.
Police have known about the video, Ngalula said.
State Sen. Martin Quezada tweeted he was witnessing a shooter armed with an assault weapon in the area.
I was just witnessing an armed terrorist shooting up Westgate with an AR-15, he wrote. Multiple victims are involved.
Numerous other videos showed store employees and guests sheltering in place.
Our hearts and prayers are with the people and families that have been affected tonight, as well as the first responders and police officers on the scene, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said via Twitter. The state is here to keep offering its full support to the victims and the community.
The Westgate Entertainment District was bought in 2018 by YAM Properties, a commercial real-estate company owned by GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons.
Amber Liptai, a spokeswoman for Parsons’ parent company BIG YAM, said in a statement that the Glendale Police Department is working with property management and security.
We are profoundly saddened by this incident and our prayers and thoughts go out to the victims and their families, Liptak said. Westgate will continue to work closely with the Glendale Police Department and in-house security to ensure our customers, tenants, and residents’ safety at its best.
