TOLEDO, Ohio — Franklin Park Mall was busy with shoppers Tuesday when a teenager shot himself and another teen, causing panic to ensue as crowds ran to the building exits, all captured on police body cam video and security footage.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz told WTOL 11 that the Toledo Police Department's initial investigation determined it was an accidental shooting and that the alleged shooter, a 16-year-old, was arrested in a dumpster behind a plaza by the corner of Sylvania Avenue and Talmadge Road after an on-foot pursuit.
The 16-year-old was charged with felonious assault, carrying concealed weapons and inducing panic, according to Toledo police. It is WTOL 11 policy to not name minor suspects unless they are being charged as an adult.
Ava Thoman, who was working at the Cold Stone Creamery in the plaza when the shooting happened, said she was worried the suspect was going get into the business.
"I was definitely nervous. We were nervous that they were going to find a way into Cold Stone, which they nearly did," she said. "They were hiding in one of the dumpsters behind us, so it was definitely a little nerve-wracking."
Thoman said the incident has left her terrified of going to the mall in the future.
"I definitely don't feel as safe as I did before," she said. "I would never go there alone with just my friends or anything, and seeing a movie makes me nervous because it could be late at night."
Donovan Antoine and his siblings had just arrived at the mall to hang out after the gunshot was heard.
"We were walking around and trying to figure out why there were a bunch of cops and
ambulances and everything everywhere," he said. "Me and my siblings reached the door and they were talking about how the place was closed and that there was an active shooter and that's
when the sirens, just like a movie, kicked on and then I realized that there was somebody potentially really dangerous in the area, so we got up and ran."
Others shared that they weren't shocked that the shooting happened, but rather that they were concerned with the safety of the mall itself, the only indoor mall in the city of Toledo.
"I'm not a big mall fan anyway, and I know that there have been some problems there," Richard Bowers, of Sylvania, said of the Franklin Park Mall.
Instead, Bowers said he and his family drive up to malls in Michigan instead.
Antoine said the shooting was another incident in a trend of gun violence.
"Sadly, it is becoming a normalized thing to hear gun violence and to see people shooting, and it's really disappointing because I liked to think that Toledo was decent," he said. "But now I can see, it's really going downhill."
The Franklin Park Mall has a Holiday Youth Supervision Policy, running from Dec. 18 to Jan. 5. Anyone 17 years old and younger must be accompanied by a parent or someone 21 years of age or older at all times. Normal supervision requirements begin again after Jan. 5.