COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – A deadly shooting occurred on Christmas Eve at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs, with one fatality and two severe injuries reported. Two groups engaged in a physical altercation that escalated into gun violence, according to local police.
The call reporting gunfire in the mall reached local law enforcement at 4:34 p.m., said Police Spokesperson Ira Cronin during a Sunday news conference. He clarified that it was not an active shooter scenario, but rather a disagreement that got physical between two parties involved in what initially appeared to be a fistfight.
A man was declared dead within the mall premises. Three others were transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Of the injured, two men suffered serious gunshot wounds, while a woman was treated for minor injuries unrelated to gunshot wounds. Cronin confirmed that it appeared no innocent bystanders were harmed in the shooting.
Several individuals have been detained as the police work to establish if the shooter is among them. The police have reassured that the situation is under control and poses no ongoing risk to the community.
The location within the mall where the incident unfolded remains unspecified, but Cronin noted that it was in close proximity to the JC Penney store. Security footage will play a crucial role in the investigation.
For the remainder of Christmas Eve, the Citadel Mall was closed and is expected to resume regular operating hours on Tuesday morning. Cronin predicts that the homicide unit will be occupied investigating the incident well into the evening.
As part of their ongoing probe, the police are calling for witnesses to step forward with any relevant information, as well as searching for any additional people that may have been involved.