2 teens hurt in accidental mall shooting the day after Christmas, mayor says

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - Two teens were injured in a shooting at an Ohio mall food court Tuesday evening, detectives at the scene said.

Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said the shooting at Franklin Park Mall was an accident in which a 17-year-old boy shot himself, along with a 15-year-old girl, when a gun discharged and a bullet ricocheted.

The shots fired call came at around 6 p.m.

A witness, who didn’t want to appear on camera, said, “We looked out the window and we heard screaming, lots of screaming. And we saw just a bunch of people running out the door.”

People at the mall said they were on lockdown for half an hour.

Kapszukiewicz said Toledo Police Chief Mike Troendle told him the 17-year-old boy was taken into custody when officers found him hiding in a trash bin behind a nearby business.

The mayor said the teens were hospitalized for their injuries but described them as non-life-threatening.

That teen has been charged with felonious assault and illegally carrying a concealed weapon.

Kapszukiewicz said there’s no doubt the incident was scary and traumatic for other people who were at the mall at the time of the shooting, but there is no further cause for concern.

“The only thing that should cause fear is that the USA is the only place where there’s more guns than people,” the mayor said. He said an accident like this could happen anywhere.

A security representative with Franklin Park Mall said the mall didn’t reopen Tuesday night.

Copyright 2023 WTVG via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.