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Emantic Bradford Jr. has been identified as the 21-year-old man shot and killed by Hoover police during a shooting at Riverchase Galleria on Thanksgiving. "We don't know at this point what led to the shooting or how many gunmen were involved," police Capt. [26], Protests were organized by a Birmingham activist group called Justice League on the following Saturday. [3] [9], In February 2020 the LEGO store closed its location at the Riverchase Galleria. Protesters on Monday night stopped traffic on U.S. 31 and marched to the Riverchase Galleria. In 1995, Parisian expanded its store by almost 66%. [10], A $60 million renovation, first planned in 2011, was completed in 2013. We were in the middle of talking to one of the staff members about one of the dresses and then there was a loud bang followed by at least five other small bangs, the 28-year-old Vestavia Hills resident said. Jonesboro Elementary Principal Dr. Anjell Edwards and staff described him as a smart child, who was a jewel, with big dreams of someday entering the music industry. Demonstrators gather at the Riverchase Galleria mall in Hoover, Alabama, Nov. 24, 2018, after a deadly officer-involved shooting at the mall. The Riverchase Galleria announced they will open at 6 a.m. Friday after tweeting that they would remain closed until further notice. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. A 12-year-old girl was also shot and wounded. The crowd of shoppers near the Foot Action store were running away from where I heard gunshots, but the armed individual was moving toward where I heard gunshots. Few details about the suspect have been released. [31] Additional protests throughout the city of Hoover were organized in the following weeks in multiple shopping areas, public interstates, and private residences of Hoover City Officials, some resulting in the arrest of participants. HOOVER, Ala. -- A police officer killed a 21-year-old man after a Thanksgiving night shooting at an Alabama shopping mall. "New evidence now suggests that while Mr. Bradford may have been involved in some aspect of the altercation, he likely did not fire the rounds that injured the 18-year-old victim," Hoover Police Captain Gregg Rector said in a statement. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford, Jr., 21, of Hueytown. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler). Among the injured was 8-year-old Royta Giles Jr. His mother did not want her name used, but spoke to AL.com about what happened. Several other people were injured, including a 12-year-old girl. Gregory Davis; Results of the initial autopsy have not been revealed. And one adult female victim was transported by ambulance from the Galleria to UAB Hospital. Because of COVID-19 precautions, the store only allows a certain number of people inside at a time. GRAPHIC: AG-released Surveillance Video of Shooting at Riverchase Galleria on Nov. 22, 2018 - YouTube 0:00 / 2:34 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users.. [10][11] One of the men initially claimed to be Bradford and currently believed to be Erron Brown, who was later arrested by U.S. Brocato said at a late night news conference at the mall. Mayor Frank Brocato and Police Chief Nick Derzis held a press briefing Friday night. 3 Jul, 2020 10:34 PM 2 minutes to read. The Bessemer City School system identified the 8-year-old victim as Royta Giles Jr. CBS affiliate WIAT-TV reports he would have been a third grader this fall at Jonesboro Elementary School. "It was so surreal. "This was just a very senseless tragedy and of course they are devastated by this," Brocato said. State officials ruled the incident justified and not criminal. An 18-year-old man and a 12-year-old girl were also shot. Furthermore, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency took over as lead investigator of the shootings. It was claimed that the gun on Bradford was not in his hands, but attached to his pants. Joiner said she heard six or seven shots and was ordered, along with some other shoppers, into a supply closet for cover. A suspected shootout inside the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover Friday afternoon killed an 8-year-old boy, who was shot in the head, and injured three others, police confirmed Friday night. As he creates this gap, Bradford draws his. Protestors carry a sign reading Justice for E.J. during a protest at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. Tipsters who want to remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward can call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. All rights reserved (About Us). Here are some of the questions we don't yet have answers to: In this Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018 photo, a police officer speaks to a woman after gunfire erupted Thanksgiving night at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Ala. Police responding to a fight inside the shopping mall shot and killed a man who had brandished a weapon, authorities said Friday. [16] The 12-year-old was found to have had a rib fractured in the initial shooting, but her spine was undamaged. Police initially thought Bradford Jr. was responsible for shooting two people but later retracted that statement. The mall reopened at 6 a.m. as planned for Black Friday shopping.Look for more updates here on WVTM 13 News.More on the mall shooting: Hoover police chief "very, very proud" of officer responseHoover mayor: "You just don't bring guns into a crowded mall"Black Friday shoppers shaken after terrifying Thanksgiving night at the mallLISTEN: Hoover Fire and Rescue dispatch audio after deadly mall shooting. THE HAVE VIDEO OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING LAST NIGHT, IT WAS CHAOTIC. Bradford had a firearm, and the officer mistook him for the shooter. All three agencies initially refused to release videos of the event. Five people were shot at the Greenwood Park Mall Sunday evening. [37] A funeral for Bradford was set for December 1 at the Boutwell Memorial Auditorium with Reverend Jesse Jackson to speak. We are working closely with the Hoover Police Department. All of the sudden, shots rang out. Saks kept the north wing anchor space vacant for more than a year before reopening the refurbished store in October 2004 under its Proffitt's division, giving the company 3 different anchors at Riverchase. Hoover police asked anyone was in the mall who witnessed the shooting to call authorities. He asked residents in the city to pray for the family. We are proud of our personnel tonight.". Police are reviewing surveillance tapes but also are asking any witnesses to come forward. [8] Bradford worked full-time and was a caretaker for his father, a former correctional officer, with cancer. As a result, Saks closed the 131,000sqft (12,200m2) McRae's store. Plan your visit Lease with us Court docs include officers account of E.J. Captain Rector also stated that they believe the initial altercation may have more people involved than originally suspected, and clarified that a separate investigation by the Hoover Police Department would occur for the police shooting. [14] When it was reported that the 21-year-old deceased victim was not the perpetrator, the family of the victim raised demands that the Hoover, Alabama Mayor and Police Chief step down. @aldotcom pic.twitter.com/7sATk6vVFj, Protestors and activists have gathered in front of the municipal center in Hoover to demand justice for the family of E.J. The gunfire. The bullets all entered from an upward angle and the shot to the head was the fatal shot, entering from the back right of the head and exiting above the left eye. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com. She said Royta just finished the second grade at Jonesboro Elementary in Bessemer. You know, senseless violence is not limited to the Riverchase Galleria or Hoover, Alabama,' the mayor said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In an affidavit, dated May 5, 2022, Officer Alexander detailed the events of that night: On the evening of November 22, 2018, the Galleria Mall was crowded with shoppers. [9], On November 22, 2018, at approximately 9:52 PM local time, an altercation involving four people occurred near the Footaction and JCPenney stores on the second level of the mall. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Police responding to a fight inside an Alabama shopping mall shot and killed a man who had brandished a weapon, authorities said Friday. Gregg Rector said the incident began with a fight between two people, with one man pulling a gun and shooting an 18-year-old man twice in the torso. HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) - David Alexander is the Hoover police officer who was assigned foot patrol inside the Riverchase Galleria on Thanksgiving Day of 2018. Copyright 2023 WBRC. The 8-year-old boy was transported to Childrens Hospital by a Hoover Fire Department rescue unit. They determined that David Alexander; "Officer 1", as he was referred to in the report, "identified E.J. "It was terrifying," Joiner said. Six of those eight were transported to area hospitals, including a 70-year-old Montevallo woman who ultimately was airlifted to a Mobile hospital after suffering broken bones and internal bleed in a fall as thousands were fleeing the gunfire. A FIGHT BROKE OUT BETWEEN TWO MEN, AN 18-YEAR-OLD AND 21-YEAR-OLD, NEAR FOOT ACTION AT THE SECOND FLOOR AT THE GALLERIA BEFORE 10:00 LAST NIGHT ONE OF THE MEN PULLED OUT A GUN AND SHOT THE OTHER TWICE IN THE TORSO. [19], During the investigation into the shooting, an additional gun was found in the "Santa's Village" portion of the Galleria. Here's Mayor Brocato's statement issued tonight. He did so at the risk of his own life. Bradford had been white, 'the whole scenario would have played out differently,' mom says", "The Alabama man killed at a mall had a legal gun permit and was trying to help people, his family says", "As family demands to know why police killed man at Alabama mall, Hoover PD clarifies report he 'brandished' gun", "Gunman dead and 2 wounded -- including 12-year-old girl -- in Alabama mall shooting", "Hoover will not release mall shooting video, details due to request from state investigators", "Suspect in Alabama mall shooting captured by U.S. The protesters gathered to say they want to hold law enforcement to a higher standard. [35], A vigil for Bradford was held on November 29 at the Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham. HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) - An argument inside the Riverchase Galleria on July 3 ended in a shootout that killed an 8-year-old boy and injured 3 others, according to Hoover Police. Thus, the Galleria was not only the first mall in Alabama with a Macys but also the last remaining mall in Alabama with a Macys. Any activity that disrupts our pleasant, family-oriented shopping environment. Daniel Lowe, 205-739-6762. However, the mall issued a statement Monday praising the actions of Dicken, calling his moves to stop the shooter heroic actions.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [11] As part of the renovation, the first Von Maur in Alabama opened in the space vacated by Macy's/Proffitt's/Belk. After the shooting incident over here, honestly, I felt pretty safe with the Hoover Police Department, the security they have, said Leslie Rosa, who has been coming to the Riverchase Galleria her entire life. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. After that, an officer responding to the scene shot and killed the 21-year-old, Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford, Jr. of Hueytown. Three of the victims died. Many shoppers who were hoping to take advantage of the Black Friday sales were thankful to be alive after the terrifying experience. An eight-year-old boy later died after being shot in the evening, and three others were hospitalized with injuries and was treated in a local hospital. I was observing the crowd for violations of law/or disruptions to the orderly conduct of shopping. Their conditions were unknown Monday morning. Officials initially said . In a press conference, Captain Rector of the Hoover Police Department stated that the initial shooter would need to be determined by the investigation into that shooting. He said they treated the injured and contained the scene in a matter of minutes. Doubt grew that Bradford was the initial shooter. The gunfire erupted at 3:18 p.m. on the first floor of the states largest mall. Now you can look everywhere and see a security officer. "Now, all evidence has been handed over to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to lead the investigation. I heard two gunshots and a females scream behind me. However, the Hoover City Council will hold a special meeting at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday to "discuss pending or threatening litigation." Derzis said police are working promising leads, but did not say if they had identified suspects. ORIGINAL (7/3): Four people have been injured in a shooting at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover Friday afternoon, according to the Hoover Police Department. But he stepped in to protect thousands, and I'm grateful for that.". A gunman shot an 18-year-old man inside the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Alabama as the shopping mall filled with early Black Friday shoppers, and a 12-year-old girl was also shot in the. Protesters also called for a boycott of the Galleria. You can spend the day shopping in more than 150 stores, people watching in the largest enclosed shopping center in Alabama or fueling a night out with a delicious dish.