Black Friday shopping at Westfield Valley Fair mall in San José was interrupted last Friday when crowds of people began to run away from sounds of gunfire.
At approximately 5:40 p.m. San José Police Department patrol officers arrived at the scene located on Stevens Creek Boulevard. following multiple reports of a shooting, according to a Friday press release from the San José Police Department.
The suspect was arrested on Nov. 30 after being located in the city of San José, and was booked into Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall for attempted murder where he remains in custody, according to a press release by the San José Police Department.
Vanessa Gouin, a sales associate at Hot Topic, said she was working when the gunfire went off.
“I heard gunshots while helping a customer; my coworker Jay and I looked at each other as we realized what was happening,” Gouin said. “We ran to the backroom and tried grabbing as many people as possible as quickly as we could.”
There were three victims involved in the shooting; an adult male, an adult female and a 16-year old female who were transported to local hospitals after sustaining injuries later deemed non-life threatening, according to the same press release.
The shooting was deemed gang-related and occurred after a verbal altercation escalated and the suspect pulled a gun from his waistband and fired several rounds, according to a KTVU article.
The woman and the 16-year old who were struck by gunfire were considered bystanders in the shooting, according to the same KTVU article.
Gouin said she heard screaming and people running into the back of the store when the initial gunshots went off.
“We had no idea what was going on, we just heard gunfire and I feared for my life just like other people did,” Gouin said. “I haven’t returned to the mall yet and I’m nervous because I’m not sure how I’ll react to being back after a traumatic event.”
The workers at the mall returned the next day on Saturday and the mall reopened at noon according to an article on SFGATE.
Brianna Valdez, a law enforcement clerk at the County of Santa Clara Office of the Sheriff, said she was shopping at the mall during the time of the shooting.
Valdez said it was a frightening experience and she didn’t know how to feel when she saw crowds of people running through the mall.
“We were on our way to dinner for my cousin’s birthday and all of a sudden we saw people start swarming,” Valdez said. “We got into the car and when we were on the road, there were so many people on the streets and sidewalk running away from the mall — it was crazy — I was so scared.”
Valdez said her and her family ran to the parking lot and got into their cars and left, but they could see many others fleeing the scene in fear.
Many people ran for cover all over the mall because of the sound of gunfire, according to a video posted by ABC news.
Savhana Martinez, a part-time lead at New Balance in Santana Row, said she saw crowds of people running through the street and entering the store in fear.
She said the swarming crowds didn’t just happen at Valley Fair, but many people fled to Santana Row, which is located 0.3 miles south across the street from the mall on Stevens Creek Boulevard.
“It all happened so fast, people started running into our store and a couple of people fell because they were rushing,” Martinez said. “My first instinct was to make sure everyone was okay and lead them into the stockroom, making sure doors were locked and turned off all the lights.”
Shattered glass was found on the floor in front of Bowlero located in the Valley Fair mall which was initially thought to be from gunfire shots, but was caused by Cristian Rodriguez, a bystander at the mall breaking the glass to get to safety, according to an article on Yahoo News.
Martinez said she heard people on the outside tugging on the door and yelling to let them in.
“When it was happening, ‘active shooter’ was getting thrown around on social media,” Martinez said. “We weren’t getting information at all from security, we were just hearing things from different outlets and people.”
News of the shooter was found on social media outlets such as Info Room, an account on the ‘X’ platform that said a shooter was at large at the mall.
She said when people started to leave the stores, people in the stockroom were afraid to leave. She and her fellow associates let people exit through the backdoor to the parking lot.
This isn’t the first altercation to happen in this area; earlier this year, a fatal stabbing of a 15-year old teenager occurred on Valentine’s day in Santana Row, according to an article on FOX News.
Jennifer Maguire, the city manager for San José, said that their priority is supporting the victims and ensuring the community feels safe while the investigation moves forward.
“An incident like this is alarming for everyone,” Maguire said. “I am grateful for the swift, coordinated response from our Police Department and our regional partners.”
