Three people were shot at an Arizona shopping mall on Wednesday in a violent rampage that was captured and uploaded on Snapchat. The suspect is in custody.
The incident occurred at the Westgate Entertainment Center in Glendale, about 15 miles from Phoenix. Police received reports of shots fired around 7:25 pm, but by the time of arrival, the shooting was over, and the suspect surrendered to police.
In the video, the suspect, who has not been named by police but has been identified as 20-year-old Armando Hernandez, detailed his plan and intention, prior to the attack.
“Hello, my name is Armando Junior Hernandez, and I’m gonna be the shooter of Westgate 2020,” he said in the video, according to Daily Mail, adding, “Let’s get this done.”
In other video clips uploaded to Snapchat, the shooter is seen with his guns, while in another, he is heard saying, “It’s society’s fault,”
After the incident, Glendale Mayor issued a statement, saying, “I want everyone to know that this is not normal. We’re dealing with somebody who obviously had issues.”
Governor Doug Ducey released a statement as well, thanking the first responders on the case. Meanwhile, Westgate Entertainment District said they were “deeply troubled by this incident, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.”
“Westgate will continue to work closely with the Glendale Police Department and in-house security to best ensure the safety of our customers, tenants, and residents.”
The suspect’s mother, who was in tears, spoke with 12News on the scene, explaining that she drove to the mall after her son told her, “Armando’s going crazy.”
“I have no idea why he did this,” she added.
Of the three victims, one is in critical condition. The other two victims are expected to survive.
