ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two teenagers involved in a fight that ended in gunshots inside Ross Park Mall on Saturday are now facing gun charges.
According to our partners at TribLive.com, the two 17-year-old boys are being charged with illegal possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 21, along with other crimes. However, the teens are not charged with firing the guns because none of the witnesses interviewed said they saw the guns being fired.
The fight broke out on the second floor of the mall around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday near Guest Services. Ross Police Department Det. Brian Kohlhepp said the fight involved as many as six people. At some point during the scuffle, guns were pulled out and several shots were fired. Three guns were recovered during the investigation.
>>>RELATED: Push to get surveillance cameras install at Ross Park Mall after shooting
The mall was put on lockdown, shoppers went running for the exits, and employees shuffled others into back rooms and closets to stay safe. Luckily, there were no injuries.
Kohlhepp said the investigation was going to be difficult because the mall’s parent company, Simon Property Group, does not have cameras inside common areas of the mall.
“The best deterrent to criminal activity is knowing that you’ll be seen and subsequently knowing that you’ll be caught,” says DA Stephen Zappala, when asked about surveillance cameras at Ross Park Mall.
— Rick Earle (@WPXIRickEarle) June 1, 2021
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said he wants them installed.
“The best deterrent to criminal activity is knowing that you’ll be seen and subsequently knowing that you’ll be caught. I have asked Simon Properties to do what I believe is the right think by installing cameras and they have told me now,” Zappala said.
The company also owns and operates the Grove City Premium Outlets and South Hills Village in the region.
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