Man hurt, shooter sought in NLR mall disturbance
A shooting at McCain Mall in North Little Rock on Monday afternoon left a man hospitalized in what authorities believe to be an isolated incident, according to the Police Department.
The victim’s condition was unknown Monday evening, according to a police news release. His identity was not released.
The suspect fled in a white Honda Civic after the shooting. The car was found by police Monday night.
A department spokesman, officer Joseph Green, told reporters at the scene Monday, “This is an isolated incident. We do not believe that there’s any other threat to the community.”
According to a preliminary investigation, a physical disturbance took place in the mall in front of the Robert Irwin Jewelers store on the second floor, with at least one person producing a weapon and firing at least one shot at the victim, police said.
When police arrived after a 4:19 p.m. shots-fired call with injuries reported, they found a man suffering from a gunshot wound inside the jewelry store.
“We believe that this was simply a disturbance that led
to a shooting,” Green said.
An officer with medical training aided the victim while other officers investigated the incident, Green said.
Officers were on the scene “within moments of the shooting,” he said.
Green was unable to comment on the victim’s injuries when asked whether they were life-threatening. He declined to release the name of the hospital where the victim was receiving treatment before detectives were able to interview the man.
On Monday evening, detectives were interviewing multiple witnesses at the department’s Investigations Division, according to the news release.
The mall closed after the incident and police did not know when it would reopen while detectives processed the scene for evidence, Green told reporters.
When the suspect fled, Green said, police “lost sight” of the vehicle after seeing the direction it went. He said he did not know if police were searching for one or more suspects. Police did not disclose where the vehicle was found.
Individuals with information on the incident were asked to call (501) 680-8439 or (501) 758-1234.
On Monday evening, detectives were interviewing multiple witnesses at the department’s Investigations Division, according to the news release.