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The man shot by Hoover police at the Riverchase Galleria has now been publicly identified.
The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the suspect as Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. He was 21 years old and living in Hueytown. His friends and family called him "E.J."
Also on Friday night, Jefferson County Attorney Mike Anderton announced that the SBI would resume the investigation of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office after hearing that the sheriff's wife's cousin, Mark Pettway, was a witness potential in this case.
The shooting took place as thousands of people began early to visit the Galleria, Alabama's largest mall and a popular Black Friday destination for shoppers from all over the state. The gunfire inside the shopping mall prompted shoppers to go to the shelter and city officials described the scene as chaotic.
An 18 year old man was shot and was rushed to the UAB Hospital trauma center where he was in serious condition. A 12-year-old girl was also shot and wounded. Bradford, shot by Hoover police, was declared dead on the scene at 22:11. A 12-year-old girl remains hospitalized at the Children's of Alabama.
Hoover Fire treated eight others for non-gunshot injuries, said Captain Scott West, Hoover Fire Chief. Of these eight people, six were transported to the hospital. Some people had been injured by falls while they were trying to escape from the mall, while others were medical calls. The severity of these injuries was not available.
Captain Gregg Rector of Hoover Police said the shooting took place at 9:52 pm "We received a call for shots fired outside Foot Action. We already had several agents working at the mall to control traffic and the presence of police inside, "he said.
Earlier information, he said, is that two adult men, one of whom was 18 years old, had a physical altercation in the mall. "At least one of these people exchanged shots with each other," said the rector. "The 18-year-old was hit. He was taken away with at least one injury. We believe that he is in serious condition. "
After the initial shot, the rector stated that the person who shot at the 18-year-old – who was now calling Bradford – was fleeing the area while he was facing two Hoover police officers, in uniform. "One of our officers hired this person and shot him," Rector said. "He was dead on the scene."
"Hoover police officer rushed to the scene, he heard gunshots, he was obviously very close to the scene, he actually killed and killed the person who injured the other person", said Rector.
He said that they did not know what triggered the initial fight. "We know that they had a physical altercation. We know that the deceased was armed with a handgun and fired at the person who was transported to the UAB, "said the rector.
12-year-old girl shot Riverchase Galleria "hurt but brave" says mother
The 12-year-old was also affected, but the police do not know when she was affected. His mother had a lengthy discussion on Facebook about the details of her daughter's ordeal.
At least several viewers took pictures and videos of the incident in the mall. These photos – including a graphic image of the deceased – quickly made the rounds of social media. Her mother's friends and other family members advocated that image sharing cease.
The rector said the police had a strong protection plan for the Galleria, as they do every year on Thanksgiving night. "It's a great shopping day for us and everyone around the country," said Rector. "We are still gearing up for additional staff from the afternoons of Thanksgiving, we do it throughout Christmas."
"Of course, our officers are well trained and follow different types of training throughout the year and they always react very well," he said. "We were fortunate to have two officers near an active shooting scene. They rushed to this scene and met a person who had just shot someone. So we were fortunate that Officer Hoover was where he should be and we think he avoided further injuries. . "
Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr responded to the scene. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was asked to investigate the shooting involving an officer.
We will examine all possible ways to gather evidence of what happened, "said the rector. "We want him to draw a very clear picture of what happened tonight."
"We have been working in this mall for over 20 years, with additional agents inside and out. Unfortunately, it happened here tonight, "said Police Chief Nick Derzis. "I am very very proud of the Hoover police officers who were on the scene."
"Thank God, our officers were very close. They heard the gunshots, they hired the subject, and they eliminated the threat, "said Derzis," This threat could have resulted in many more casualties, but luckily that did not happen. " .
The prosecutor said he received a call shortly before 12:30. Friday informing him of a potential conflict with the sheriff's office investigation into this case. "It was explained that a potential witness in the case was at the Galleria at the time the shooting saw what happened," Anderton said in a prepared statement.
After speaking with all law enforcement agencies, Anderton requested that SBI be convened to take over all related investigations, including the aspect involving an officer, as well as than the shooting of the other victims. "This will avoid parallel investigations involving the same witnesses and the same evidence," he said.
Anderton said his claim should not suggest that members of Jefferson County Sheriff's Office "are unable or unreliable with respect to the handling of the case. In the last 34 years, I have worked with JCSO investigators. Personally, I am absolutely convinced of their ability and willingness to conduct a fair inquiry. "
"But an inquiry like this takes time. The possibility that this inquiry will succeed during the term of the elected sheriff, a cousin of an important potential witness in this investigation, could lead the public to question its fairness. That's what I try to avoid. "
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