The 15-year-old accused of shooting and injuring eight people at Mayfair Mall last Friday made his first court appearance Tuesday.
Because he is a minor and has not been charged as an adult, TMJ4 News is not releasing his name.
The 15-year-old will remain in juvenile court and is facing nearly a dozen counts, including reckless injury and possession of a dangerous weapon.
Despite arguments from the defense that the teenaged suspect in the Mayfair Mall shooting be released back to his parents, Court commissioner JC Moore did not hold back.
“This is an incredibly dangerous series of events," the court commissioner said. "This was a shooting in a mall that was crowded with people the week before the start of the holiday shopping season. It involves 8 different victims that were shot because of an altercation with the juvenile that is alleged to be involved in.”
One of those victims was the owner of a cell phone kiosk right outside Macy’s. The man was working with a customer Friday afternoon when he heard a commotion and started to run.
"I fell down on the floor," said Ikram Arshad. "I got two shots as I was running."
Arshad wasn’t the only one struck by bullets. He says before he could even process that there was a shooting he watched the people around him get hit by gunfire.
"My customer yeah, she was shot also. She got a shot on her neck," Arshad said. "The other two people got two shots. On one girl she got a shot on her knee and on the one boy, he got shot on his hand, I think so."
Arshad says he hid in the storage room for 45 minutes before police and paramedics took him to an ambulance. Ikram says he is mad people brought guns into the mall. But he isn’t focused on the shooter. He believes the justice system needs to do its job.
This afternoon, court commissioner Moore told the suspect: "I cannot imagine a more dangerous set of circumstances for this court to consider for placement. I am going to find it necessary for him to be held in secure detention."
The court also said the teen is currently on probation for a different offense and was not supposed to be in possession of any weapons.
The teen will be back in juvenile court next month.
