Mayfair mall shooter who hurt 8 remains at large
The gunman who opened fire injuring eight people Friday afternoon at Mayfair mall in Wauwatosa remains at large, Wauwatosa police said Saturday.
“Investigators are working tirelessly to identify and apprehend the suspect from yesterday’s shooting at Mayfair Mall,” the department tweeted about 11 a.m. Saturday. “We ask that any witnesses to the incident please contact the Wauwatosa Police Department at 414-471-8430.”
Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride issued a statement Saturday saying Wauwatosa police are getting help from the FBI and they continue to interview victims and witnesses.
“Wauwatosa is a safe and vibrant community,” McBride said. “Events like this shake us, but a community as strong as Wauwatosa will not lose its spirit because of this unfortunate incident and Mayfair will continue to be a magnet for shoppers across the region.”
The statement goes on to say: “Guns have no place in shopping malls or other places in which crowds of people gather. Mayfair has a strict nogun policy. If the shooter had complied with that policy, no one would have been hurt (Friday).”
The gunman wounded seven adults and one teenager, officials said.
Witnesses described the shooter as a white male in his 20s or 30s, Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber said Friday.
“When emergency personnel arrived, the shooter was no longer at the scene,” Weber said earlier.
On Friday, police said they “believe that this shooting was not a random act, and was the result of an altercation.”
The mall was closed Saturday, but announced Saturday afternoon that it would be open for regular business on Sunday.
Saturday morning, police tweeted a reminder that the mall was closed and added: “If anyone has property or a vehicle that they need to pick up, contact Mayfair Mall Security at 414-443-5140 and they will provide you with directions on how to retrieve your property.”
McBride said the Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention has offered its services to anyone affected by the shooting.
McBride also thanked the Wauwatosa police and nearby police departments for protecting shoppers, and the Wauwatosa Fire Department for attending to victims’ injuries and transporting them to the hospital.