(AP Photo/Kim Chandler). The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jeremy Daniel lives out of town but has driven over an hour to visit the Riverchase Galleria for over 20 years. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. SOME OF THE PEOPLE WERE HERE LAST NIGHT IN THE CHAOS AND OTHERS HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BUT STILL DECIDED TO CONTINUE THEIR SHOPPING CLAIMS THAT SHOPPING PLANS. This is just one step in the process to bring attention to these issues," one speaker said. The mall reopened at 6 a.m. as planned for Black Friday shopping. (Carol Robinson). He did so at the risk of his own life. WVTM 13S SARAH KILLIAN TALKED TO A FEW SHOPPERS THIS MORNING, EVEN SOME WHO WERE IN THE MALL LAST NIGHT. Update on Molly: weapon and chambers a round. "We'll never do another Black Friday again ever.". But over the past five years, things changed. Police said they "regret that our initial media release was not totally accurate. It doesn't even feel real right now. E.J. The same year, the Pizitz chain was acquired by McRae's and subsequently renamed. HOOVER, Ala. (WIAT) Following a shooting that left a child dead and three others injured, the city of Hoover and the owner of the Riverchase Galleria have announced increased safety measures to provide a more secure and comfortable shopping experience at Alabama's largest shopping mall. [33] Additionally, the Alabama chapter of the NAACP issued a press release condemning the "extreme and excessive police force. "One of our Hoover officers did engage that individual, shot him and he is dead on the scene," Cpt. On March 6, 2005, the Rich's-Macy's store (as Rich's; along with the location at Colonial Brookwood Village) was officially rebranded as Macy's. We are proud of our personnel tonight." 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Deadly shooting at Ala. mall on Thanksgiving, Deadly shooting at Alabama mall on Thanksgiving, Death by gun: Top 20 states with highest rates, Pittsburgh woman missing for 31 years found alive in Puerto Rico, School shooting survivor has emotional audition on "American Idol". When they received the all-clear, they were let out an emergency exit into a parking garage, Allgrove said. Saks kept the north wing anchor space vacant for more than a year before reopening the refurbished store in October 2004 under its Proffitt's division, giving the company 3 different anchors at Riverchase. It worked. Should significant developments occur prior to any given regular Monday update, we will provide that news as soon as we can," Hoover police said. THIS MORNING, THE MALL IS BACK OPEN, BUT SOME ARE STILL SHAKEN AFTER GUNFIRE RANG OUT INSIDE THE MALL DURING EARLY BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPIN THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. One of the teens, an 18-year-old, was struck and the other tried to flee the area but was confronted by two Hoover police officers. "It was terrifying," Joiner said. A man was shot and killed by police after a fight at the mall ahead of Black Friday shopping resulted in gunfire that injured several. Many shoppers who were hoping to take advantage of the Black Friday sales were thankful to be alive after the terrifying experience. HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) - An argument inside the Riverchase Galleria on July 3 ended in a shootout that killed an 8-year-old boy and injured 3 others, according to Hoover Police. Some of the prohibited activities include: Any activity that threatens the safety of guests, tenants and/or employees. "Molly is home now and doing much better.". Protests were organized by a Birmingham activist group called Justice League, calling for a boycott of the Galleria. Daniel Lowe, 205-739-6762. The gunfire erupted at 3:18 p.m. on the first floor of the state's largest mall. You can spend the day shopping in more than 150 stores, people watching in the largest enclosed shopping center in Alabama or fueling a night out with a delicious dish. Matt Savage 205-739-6780 or Sgt. [38], A "preliminary anatomical review" was planned on November 29 for the following day to determine the number of shots that hit Bradford and whether Bradford was hit from the front or from behind. He was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the Birmingham hospital. "We don't know at this point what led to the shooting or how many gunmen were involved," police Capt. MARY: WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO LAW MANAGEMENT, AND THEY WILL NOT COMMEN ON AN ACTIVE INVESTIGATION. Marshals at a relative's home in Fairburn, Georgia, on November 29. What happens next with the investigation? (Emantic Bradford, Sr. via AP). [8] Bradford worked full-time and was a caretaker for his father, a former correctional officer, with cancer. "[24][25] The report was strongly criticised by Bradford's family. Riverchase Galleria Shooting The Latest: 6 a.m. - YouTube Team Coverage A Team Coverage A AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest. But he stepped in to protect thousands, and I'm grateful for that.". EUNICE THANKS, SARAH. [7] Bradford had enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2017 and completed basic training, and was on leave in August 2018 before completing advanced individual training. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He was bright, articulate, and very convincing. [27][28][29][30], On November 26, 2018, a protest gathered outside Hoover City Hall, calling for the Hoover Police Department to release video from the police body cameras and mall surveillance cameras for public review. ", "Nordstrom to Open First Alabama Store at Riverchase Galleria in Birmingham", "Nordstrom coming to the Riverchase Galleria", "Plans canceled for Nordstrom store at Galleria", "Lego to open first Alabama store at Hoover's Galleria", "Sears and Kmart store closings: 26 stores to close in October", "Hoover City Council approves up to $25 million sales tax rebate for Riverchase Galleria", "Birmingham's Hoar Construction reveals new details of Riverchase Galleria makeover", "Von Maur department store proposed for Riverchase Galleria", "Riverchase Galleria renovation expected to be complete in August; Von Maur, Old Navy opening this fall", "Cost of the Riverchase Galleria's redevelopment to top $100 million; more new stores on the way", "Dave & Buster's sets tentative opening date in Hoover, now hiring", "3 new retailers, restaurant coming to Riverchase Galleria; Dave & Buster's opening soon", An Alleged Gunman Is Dead After A Thanksgiving Night Shooting At An Alabama Mall - Uproxx, 'They killed him for no reason,' says aunt of 21-year-old armed man shot dead at Alabama mall - ABC News, Protesters call for boycott after Alabama mall shooting, demand release of body cam footage - AL.com/Alabama Media Group, "8-year-old died, 3 others injured at shooting in the Riverchase Galleria", Barber Motorsports Park and Vintage Motorsports Museum, Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, BirminghamShuttlesworth International Airport, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riverchase_Galleria&oldid=1136312433, Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, Alabama, Shopping malls in the Birmingham, Alabama metro area, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 2 ( belk, 3 in center court, Macy's, and Von Maur, 17 in the tower), This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 19:18. The documents also include a copy of the Alabama Attorney Generals report regarding the shooting death of E.J. So very, very proud of that. Video posted on social media by shoppers showed a chaotic scene as shoppers fled the mall, which closed for the remainder of Thursday night. The bullets all entered from an upward angle and the shot to the head was the fatal shot, entering from the back right of the head and exiting above the left eye. They (the shots) just kept going. "Unfortunately, an indidvual lost his life. Police say there. It was claimed that the gun on Bradford was not in his hands, but attached to his pants. EVEN THOUGH SOME PEOPLE LAST NIGHT TOLD US THEY WOULD NOT GO BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING AGAIN, WE SPOKE TO OTHERS TODAY WHO ARENT WORRIED. Dont miss out! There was also a 10-screen Regal Entertainment Group movie theater was on an out-parcel of the property but it was closed in 2006 after the construction of a Rave Motion Pictures (now AMC Theatres) at neighboring Patton Creek Shopping Center. The incident is another reminder that shootings can happen anywhere. Nowadays, with all these mass shootings that happen, its something you have to think about everywhere you go, Daniel said. Marshals[12] reportedly drew a weapon and shot 18-year-old Brian Wilson twice, before fleeing the area. Authorities in Hoover are investigating an officer-involved shooting at the Riverchase Galleria that left one teen dead and two others injured. The mother said three people had just come out but since there were more of them, they had to wait for one more person to exit. Emantic Fitzgerald EJ Bradford Jr. was shot and killed Thanksgiving night 2018 inside the Galleria by a police officer who was responding to a shooting. Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said this was an "isolated incident" and "something that could have happened anywhere in the country." "You don't see that too often. Killing of Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. Surveillance Video of Shooting at Riverchase Galleria (November 22, 2018), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Office of the Attorney General of Alabama, "E.J. What do you think should happen and how will this impact the future of the image of Hoover and Greater Birmingham in the long run. "Unfortunately, an indidvual lost his life. I wouldnt say Im religious, I would say Im more spiritual, and the person who did this is going to have to answer for that whether it is to whoever they pray to or if its the streets., This one hits home,' the mother said. ", "It felt so close," she said. While there is no current danger to our community, we will remain closed until further notice." I turned toward where I heard the gunshots and drew my firearm and moved in the direction of the sound of gunshots scanning for suspects. Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said he visited with the boy's parents Friday evening. All Rights Reserved. AFTER LAST YEARS FIGHT AND THIS YEARS DEADLY SHOOTING, SOME SHOPPERS SAY THEY ARE NOW CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY. Hoover police initially told reporters Bradford had shot a teen at the mall, but later retracted the statement. HOOVER, Ala. (WBRC) - David Alexander is the Hoover police officer who was assigned foot patrol inside the Riverchase Galleria on Thanksgiving Day of 2018. The city leaders apologized to the Bradford family for the shooting and answered what questions they could regarding the events. [12][23], On February 5, 2019, the Office of the Attorney General of Alabama released a report of its review of the evidence regarding the police shooting. The gunfire. "You don't see that too often. Our prayers go out to all of those affected by this senseless event., Brocato said he visited with Roytas parents after the boy had been pronounced dead. Immediately after the gunshots, the Torrid staff worked very quickly and efficiently to get everyone to the back of the store, to the emergency area, and they kind of kept everyone calm until they heard other people were being let out.. The shooter, Jonathan Sapirman, 20, was also shot and killed by an armed shopper who was later identified as Elishjsha Dicken. "Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said this was an "isolated incident" and "something that could have happened anywhere in the country." There was an officer applying first aid and compress to stem the bleeding, he said. . [14] When it was reported that the 21-year-old deceased victim was not the perpetrator, the family of the victim raised demands that the Hoover, Alabama Mayor and Police Chief step down. PEOPLE FLOODING OUT OF THE MALL OF ARE HEARING THE GUNSHOTS. The 2018 Riverchase Galleria shooting was a fatal incident that took place inside the Riverchase Galleria shopping mall during early "Black Friday" shopping at 9:52 PM on Thanksgiving night, November 22, 2018.Two people were injured in the initial violent outbreak outside of the Foot Action store on the upper level near JC Penney: Brian Wilson, 18, and Molly Bennett, 12. Thus, the Galleria was not only the first mall in Alabama with a Macys but also the last remaining mall in Alabama with a Macys. (AP Photo/Kim Chandler). [3] Another African-American man suspected in the first shooting was arrested in Georgia a week later and charged in the shooting of one of those injured. MARY: LAST NIGHT WASNT THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS SOME KIND OF ALTERCATION AT THE GALLERIA FOR BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING. Alabama AG: Hoover police officer justified in fatally shooting Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. "Alabama Police Now Say Black Man Killed By Officer Wasn't The Gunman In Mall Shooting", "The Alabama Thanksgiving Mall Shooting Suspect Is Still At Large", "Protesters call for boycott after Alabama mall shooting, demand release of body cam footage", "Alabama mall shooting: Officer killed the wrong man, officials say", "Demonstrators shut down highway in protest of fatal police shooting", "Riverchase Galleria shooting: Protesters shut down highway, march to mall", "Family of man killed by police in Alabama mall shooting hires civil rights attorney", "Police 'saw young black man with a gun' and shot him, father says after Galleria police killing", "Hoover officials apologize to E.J. He had aspirations to become a rapper. The report concludes that the shooting of Bradford by Officer Alexander was justified, and no crime was committed. [9], In February 2020 the LEGO store closed its location at the Riverchase Galleria. Bradford then charges back toward JC Penney, gun drawn. In 1995, Parisian expanded its store by almost 66%. Police had said he was fleeing the scene and brandishing a weapon. Bradford's eulogy", "Bradford family, Attorney Ben Crump hires pathologist to perform autopsy", "Hoover asks state for permission to release information about police shooting at Galleria", "Mall shooting video 'consistent with' forensic exam, Bradford family lawyer says", "Groups join forces to bolster police shooting protest, call for 'war' against Hoover", "Hoover postpones Christmas tree lighting after threats of protest due to police shooting", "Lawsuit IDs Hoover officer who shot EJ Bradford", "Officer who shot EJ Bradford named in federal lawsuit", 20152016 University of Missouri protests, Donald Trump photo op at St. John's Church, 20202023 MinneapolisSaint Paul racial unrest, Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement, Holding a Black Lives Matter Sign in America's Most Racist Town, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, List of police reforms related to the George Floyd protests, 2020 deployment of federal forces in the United States, Black maternal mortality in the United States, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Killing_of_Emantic_Fitzgerald_Bradford_Jr.&oldid=1137527654, African Americans shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States, Law enforcement controversies in the United States, November 2018 events in the United States, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Police body camera, mall surveillance, private videos. Had the deadline passed without comment, Chief Derzis would have decided for the council if the information would have been released without the ALEA. Two adults and another child were also injured. The Riverchase Galleria also has a Code of Conduct, which includes rules and guidelines for mall goers. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Part of the meeting allowed those present to view a portion of the footage of Bradford being shot. The Hoover Police Department said in a statement that two men were engaged in a "physical altercation" at the glitzy Riverchase Galleria in Hoover late Thursday, when one of the men pulled out a handgun and shot the other man twice. THE HAVE VIDEO OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING LAST NIGHT, IT WAS CHAOTIC. In January 2022, Macy's announced the closure of its store at Colonial Brookwood Village. The locations of the shots were to the right side of the head, the base of the neck, and the right portion of the hip. Bradford was the 21-year-old Hueytown man killed by a Hoover policeman at the Riverchase Galleria on Thanksgiving night following a dispute that lead to the shooting of an 18-year-old man and 12-year-old girl. Among the injured was 8-year-old Royta Giles Jr. His mother did not want her name used, but spoke to AL.com about what happened. Gregg Rector said the incident began with a fight between two people, with one man pulling a gun and shooting an 18-year-old man twice in the torso. We heard the gunshots and I grabbed them and we hit the ground,' she said. [9], On November 22, 2018, at approximately 9:52 PM local time, an altercation involving four people occurred near the Footaction and JCPenney stores on the second level of the mall. HOOVER, Ala. -- A police officer killed a 21-year-old man after a Thanksgiving night shooting at an Alabama shopping mall. Read the full story from the press conference here: (ABC 33/40 via AP). Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He said he saw a child laying in a pool of blood on the ground with an officer applying first aid to stop the bleeding. One shopper said she's done with Black Friday and malls. Theres a lot more security than there used to be, Daniel said. Royta is Hoovers second homicide of the year. Annalisa Pope, who works at Hollister in the mall, told WBMA-TV in a telephone interview that she heard six to seven shots that "sounded like they were coming from every direction. This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 02:47. Bradford shot in the back, attorneys say: What we learned from the private autopsy", "EJ Bradford was shot three times from behind by officer, autopsy reveals", "Police kill gunman during Black Friday sales at Alabama mall; 2 hurt", "Suspect in Alabama mall shooting arrested at relative's house in metro Atlanta", "Mall shooting suspects agrees on return to Alabama", "Alabama NAACP Strongly Condemns Hoover Police Shooting - Alabama State Conference of the NAACP", "If Emantic 'E.J.' The former movie theater has since been repurposed into an Aveda Salon and Cosmetology school. However, the mall issued a statement Monday praising the actions of Dicken, calling his moves to stop the shooter heroic actions.. IT STARTED OFF SLOW BUT THE CROW HAS HELPED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS. Officials at first said Emantic Bradford Jr., 21, of Hueytown shot the 18-year-old and 12-year-old before being killed by police. And one adult female victim was transported by ambulance from the Galleria to UAB Hospital. The Alabama attorney general's office cleared the officer, saying he acted "reasonably under the circumstances" in the encounter that spanned approximately five seconds.