Two men were charged in a shooting that injured two, including a teenager, inside Perimeter Mall on Friday, authorities said.
Dunwoody police received a call about shots fired in the DeKalb County mall’s food court at about 4:45 p.m., spokesman Sgt. Michael Cheek told reporters at the scene Friday night. The victim, an 18-year-old man, and one of the injured suspects were stable when taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
Cheek said the suspects, identified as 20-year-old Roykell Holder and 21-year-old Raymon Pierre, and the victim ran into each other at the mall when “some words were exchanged and shots were fired” during the isolated incident. Holder was injured in the hand when the victim returned fire.
Holder and Pierre fled the scene after the shooting and were arrested about 45 minutes later at the Pleasantdale Crossing Apartments, about 7 miles from the mall, Cheek confirmed. Authorities did not say why the suspects fled to the complex.
Holder is facing charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and reckless conduct. Pierre is facing charges of party to the crime of aggravated battery and reckless conduct.
Cheek said most patrons evacuated the mall for their own safety. The food court and portions surrounding it remained closed for hours Friday for the investigation.
Vynnessa Smith, 32, hadn’t been inside the mall for even five minutes before she heard a round of gunshots coming from the food court. Chaos erupted with children and several people running in every direction trying to find a way out.
“It was about five gunshots,” Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I probably won’t be going back anytime soon. I don’t want to have to be thinking about where the closest emergency exit is.”
Credit: Natrice Miller
Credit: Natrice Miller
A spokesperson for the mall said the shooting was an “isolated and senseless incident.”
“We are grateful to our security vendor and also our partners at Dunwoody Police Department for their quick action and response,” the spokesperson told the AJC. “The shopping center will remain closed for the rest of the evening. We expect to be able to reopen (Saturday).”
A month ago, a man pulled out a gun and pointed it at Dunwoody police officers at a shopping center near the mall, officials said. Officers opened fire and missed the man before arresting him.
In October, the Mall at Stonecrest in DeKalb was temporarily shut down after a shooting left one man injured, officials said. According to police, an argument between two men led to the shooting.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
