According to Loudoun County authorities, there was an isolated shooting incident at Dulles Town Center mall in Sterling, which left a 21-year-old man in serious condition on Sunday.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office was summoned to the mall premises after receiving a report of the shooting minutes before noon, as stated by Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.
Upon reaching the site, deputies discovered a victim of the shooting walking near the Cheesecake Factory exit and immediately called for medical assistance.
The deputies were informed that the shooter was still present inside the mall near the food court.
The authorities swiftly rushed upstairs, where they discovered the suspect sitting on the floor with his firearm nearby.
The suspect has been taken into custody.
“They immediately high-tailed it upstairs to make sure that they could get him into custody, and that’s exactly what they did,” Chapman said of his deputies.
Officials reported that the shooter did not put up any resistance against the responding deputies nor attempted to flee.
He was then taken into custody and transported to the sheriff’s office. Meanwhile, the victim was taken to the Reston Trauma Center in serious condition with an abdominal wound. No other information regarding the victim’s state was immediately available.
Additionally, three other individuals were assessed at the scene for potential injuries, as mentioned by Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System Chief Keith Johnson.
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman stated that deputies do not believe the shooter and the victim were acquainted with each other.
They suspect that the shooter, a man in his 30s, pulled out a firearm after a brief altercation with another shopper inside the mall.
“There was a conflict between the two and as a result of that conflict they got into a little bit of a hands-on argument there and the shooter just went ahead and took the gun out and shot the victim,” Chapman said.
Authorities recovered a small handgun at the location of the shooting. Shoppers within the mall sought refuge in restrooms and other concealed spots, as reported by officials.
Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman stated that people have been educated to “run, hide, fight,” which is precisely what they began doing. He also noted that the shoppers were cooperative and supportive to law enforcement during the incident.
Dulles Town Center management made the decision to shut down the mall for the rest of the day on Sunday.
Dulles Town Center issued the following statement:
To address reports about a shooting that took place at Dulles Town Center earlier today, we can confirm there was a shooting incident with one person injured; the shopping center security team followed protocols, authorities were immediately notified, and a suspect in the incident has been arrested. The center will remain closed for the remainder of the day to allow police to conduct their investigation. The center will re-open for business Monday morning. For additional details about this incident, we ask that you please contact the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
The inquiry is ongoing.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.
Video: Man in serious condition after shooting at Dulles Town Center Mall in Sterling