Police: Bystander shot gunman in shopping mall

An armed bystander intervened after gunfire broke out in a Lancaster mall over the weekend, shooting one of the participants, police said.

Lancaster police said there was a physical altercation between two males who knew each other at the Park City Center shortly before 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Police said at least one, a 16-year-old Lancaster resident, was carrying a concealed weapon.

Police said a struggle over the gun ensued, and other people joined in the altercation. The teenager fired, hitting one of the participants, and another person joined the struggle for the firearm, after which another shot was fired, police said.

At that point, police said, a bystander in a nearby store who had a legally possessed firearm heard the gunshots and engaged the people fighting over the gun. The bystander fired shots, hitting one of the suspects. The struggle ended and the bystander waited for the arrival of police and mall security, police said.

The armed teenager was hospitalized and is in police custody pending charges, police said. Two other males involved in the altercation or the struggle over the firearm also had gunshot injures. A female walking through the mall with her family was struck in the arm. Two other females sustained minor injuries fleeing the scene.

Police said none of the injuries are considered life-threatening, and two of the people shot have been released from the hospital. Evidence at the scene and other information indicates that about six shots were fired. The district attorney’s office will determine whether the bystander’s actions were lawful and justified, police said.