A Cobb County teenager who sent holiday shoppers scrambling last month when he allegedly shot another man in the Cumberland Mall food court will remain behind bars for now.
Zaire Dhanoolal, 18, was denied bond at his court appearance on Wednesday, Channel 2 Action News reported. He also picked up an additional charge of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, jail records show.
The shooting in the crowded food court occurred about 1:20 p.m. Dec. 14 about after an altercation broke out between several people, Cobb police said.
RELATED: 'Pure pandemonium': 1 injured, suspect at large after shooting at Cumberland Mall
A detective testified Wednesday that the argument began when Dhanoolal and 19-year-old Joweer Ponce ran into someone that Ponce had a previous altercation with.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Words were exchanged and the two began fighting, Cobb police Detective Tracey Richie said. At some point, a gun fell out of Ponce’s pants and there was a scramble for the weapon, he said.
That’s when Dhanoolal pulled out his own gun and shot 18-year-old Ethan Green between the neck and shoulder, arrest warrants allege.
The sound of gunfire sent frightened shoppers running for cover as a heavy police presence converged on the busy mall. Unaware that the altercation was an isolated incident, many feared there was an active shooter.
In the chaos, several people left their shoes behind as they ran from the mall.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“It was pure pandemonium,” shopper Adrian Matthews said at the scene. “People started running and knocked over pretty much the entire store. Candles, glass — It was crazy.”
Matthews said he and other terrified customers hid in a storage room at the back of Bath & Body Works until the shooting was over and they were allowed to leave.
Green survived his injuries and Dhanoolal and Ponce were later arrested, AJC.com previously reported.
Related: 2 teens arrested in connection with shooting at Cumberland Mall
Richie testified that Dhanoolal later admitted pulling the trigger to police, Channel 2 reported.
Cobb County Magistrate Judge Gerald Moore denied bond for the 18-year-old, calling him a “danger to the community.”
“He’s 18 years old. He has no business carrying a firearm,” Moore said. “He’s not lawfully able to do it.”
Dhanoolal remains in jail on two counts of aggravated assault and the weapons charge, jail records show. Ponce was charged with one count of reckless conduct and has since bonded out.
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