A 16-year-old boy has been arrested for the Wednesday shooting death of a 13-year-old girl at a Washington mall food court.
Lynnwood Police said the victim was an innocent bystander who was struck by gunfire when a fight erupted between two groups of older teens just after 6 p.m.
The victim was identified as Jayda Woods-Johnson. She was not involved in the fight.
“I grew up in this area. I went to this mall, still frequent, so to have this kind of violence, senseless violence, here is upsetting,” an emotional Police Deputy Chief Patrick Fagan said.
“It’s upsetting on a number of different levels. To have a totally innocent teenager hit is very upsetting. To have other teens engaged in this behavior on the eve of a national holiday is also upsetting.”
The suspected teen fled in the chaos but was later brought to the police station by his mother.
