2 teens injured in shooting during carnival at North Point Mall

Two teenagers were injured Wednesday when shots rang out at a parking lot carnival outside Alpharetta’s North Point Mall, sending crowds of teenagers and families running for cover.

One of the victims was taken to a hospital by helicopter and the other was taken by ambulance, according to Alpharetta police Lt. David Freeman. The teens, who are 15 and 18 years old, were stable as of Thursday afternoon.

The suspected shooter ran from the scene and was gone by the time officers and fire crews arrived on North Point Parkway shortly after 7 p.m. A gun was found on the ground near two carnival rides.

“The officers canvassed the area but did not locate him,” Freeman told reporters during the initial investigation. “At this point we do not know what the motive was, what transpired that led up to the firearm going off, but this does appear to be an isolated incident.”

Detectives confirmed that the suspect and victims were on a ride when shots were fired. Police focused their investigation on the ride and the surrounding area, and vacated the entire carnival Wednesday night to conduct the investigation.

The North Point Mall Carnival opened to the public Friday and is scheduled to run through Sunday. Teens who spoke with Channel 2 Action News said they were given refunds for their tickets and asked to return on another night.

Freeman said the greater Alpharetta community should not hesitate to visit the mall, as “nobody is in danger at this point.”

“It’s typically a great place,” he added. “It’s a great carnival; it’s been coming here for years.”

ExploreA list of recent shootings at metro Atlanta shopping centers

Wednesday’s incident marks at least the third shooting at a mall in metro Atlanta this year.

In late April, a security guard was arrested after a shooting at Greenbriar Mall, according to police. Diquan Carter, a private security guard working inside a retail store, was accused of firing on a shopper during a dispute, shutting down the entire southwest Atlanta mall.

In January, two people were injured in a shooting inside Perimeter Mall, authorities said. Dunwoody police said they received a 911 call about shots fired in the DeKalb County mall’s food court.