Three Shot at Westfield Valley Fair Mall on Black Friday
It’s Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, when gunshots ring out amongst the crowd. This shooting happened in the Westfield Valley Fair mall, hospitalizing three victims. This particular incident caused a large commotion, as it occurred on the date when the mall was the most crowded. The shooter, who authorities would later identify as a 17-year-old minor, was able to run out of the mall after hitting his target, an adult male, along with two female bystanders, one of whom was a 16-year-old minor. All victims were promptly sent to the hospital and are expected to make full recoveries. The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) reported that the motivation for the shooting was gang-related and that the 17-year-old was seen arguing with the target before shooting him.
The suspect was apprehended on Sunday night of the same week, and it was discovered that he was on probation from a previous arrest in February. He had been charged with carrying and concealing a firearm. On December 3rd, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged the 17-year-old with attempted murder and assault with a semi-automatic firearm. (County of Santa Clara) District Attorney Jeff Rosen wants to try the minor in adult court, and the next court date will be on December 15th. In a juvenile facility, the 17-year-old would only be held for three to five years, but this number could increase to 15 if the case is transferred to adult court. Additionally, Rosen wants to charge the shooter’s adult acquaintances for assisting in his attempted murder, and they would face up to three years in prison.
This event has sparked debate among people regarding whether juveniles should face harsher punishments for crimes. Some, like Greg Woods, believe that softer punishments are better for minors because they don’t fully understand the importance and consequences of their actions. According to KQED, Damon Silver, Santa Clara County’s public defender, suggests youth rehabilitation programs in place of harsh punishments. Others, such as San Jose mayor Matt Maham and police chief Paul Joseph, are in support of enacting stricter gun laws on juveniles in California. Implications for other topics can also be gleaned from the Black Friday shooting, and such topics include gun control and mall safety. Incidents such as this shooting in a packed public space disrupt the community and cause doubts about public safety. People argue for more regulations on gun ownership and tighter mall security, raising concerns that the black friday event in particular could have easily turned into a mass murder.
Two 10th-grade students from BIFU, Baolyn Lau and Selina Li, were present on the same floor of the shooting at the time of its occurrence. They gave a detailed first-hand account of their experience. Selina estimates that she and Baolyn were around 200 ft away from the incident when it occurred near Macy’s on the second floor of Westfield Valley Fair mall.
“We were shopping and we were near Fresh Society and then we heard like a gunshot and we didn't register it, so then we were like oh, it's whatever, and then we saw people running,” said Lau (10).
At first, the two students didn’t realize what had happened, believing people were running towards something exciting.
Lau (10) said, “After we heard the first [gunshot], we saw people were running and we thought there was a good deal. Then after the second one, we processed things and then someone screamed “shooter, shooter”, so we ran out.”
Li (10) added, “I saw a mother grab her children and say, 'We have to go now,' and that’s when I realized that something was wrong.”
Although they weren’t close enough to see the shooting take place, they were close enough to hear gunshots and were present when a glass partition shattered. The two students shared that it was chaotic in the moment, but they followed the crowd and ran out of the mall. Lau recounts seeing police cars going towards the mall after she and Li had safely evacuated.
The mall shooting has many people concerned about mall safety and gun control. The fact that the shooting happened at a time and in a place where many families were shopping worried community members to call for more gun regulation laws and more security in malls. The apprehension of the 17-year-old minor who shot three people has also led people to reflect upon whether consequences for minors who commit crimes should be strengthened. The Westfield Valley Fair mall incident has caused a lot of reflection upon different topics, and it is certainly an event that will be referenced in numerous arguments.