Police arrested two people in gang-related shootings at Fashion Place Mall

Jesus Joshua Payan-Mendoza and Jorge Luis Crecencio-Gonzalez, both 19, were arrested Monday morning, said Murray Police Officer Kenny Bass.

A woman shot in the leg was released from Intermountain Medical. Center in Murray. The man, who was touched on the back, remains in critical condition.

According to a statement of probable cause, Payan-Mendoza and Crecencio-Gonzalez are involved in the gang "Florencia 13". It is unclear whether any of the two teenagers fired a gun during the attack, Bass said, but the documents indicate that Crecencio-Gonzalez drove a car to flight.

Both are suspected of attempted homicide and release of a firearm. And officers are always looking for other people involved.

Bass said on Monday that members of the Florencia 13 gang "accidentally" met on members of a rival gang inside the Murray Mall around 1:30 pm. Both groups shouted at each other.

The two groups then fought physically in front of the southeastern entrance to the mall, at 6191 S. State St .. The 13 members of the Florencia gang fired and hit the man and woman, who are in their early twenties, and who, according to Bass, are considered rivals. The second group fought back, but it does not appear that they hit a member of Florencia 13.

An alarm sounded at the mall just before firing. Bass said that "had nothing to do with the incident, but was in fact part of a persistent problem with the emergency alert system of Fashion Place.

Neither Payan-Mendoza nor Crecencio-Gonzalez have any criminal background. Both have a handful of previous contraventions.

"Unfortunately, they chose a public place," he added.

Shoppers and their employees were terrified after hearing the shots. Many have been hiding in shops.

"Many people, women and children, have been trampled on, especially small children," said Abbigail Loveridge, who works for Attic Salt at the Salt Lake Tribune.

Stella Fonseca, Assistant Director Claire & # 39; s, said the store's employees had been trained to prepare for the shot – but she never imagined she should use it. She turned off the lights in the store and locked the doors.

"Finally, probably after hours or so, [police] took us out and told us to raise our hands if we were in the store," she recalls.

The Salt Lake Tribune update this developing story