Three people shot inside Fayette Mall. One victim has died, police say.
Three people were shot inside Fayette Mall on Sunday afternoon, prompting a mall evacuation and a heavy police response into the evening. One of the victims later died, police said around 10:30 Sunday night.
All three victims were taken to the hospital, Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said at a news conference outside the mall. The name of the male victim who died was not released pending notification of next of kin.
“This does not appear to be a random shooting. Our investigation is ongoing,” Lexington Police said in a statement on Twitter. Later, in a written statement, police said the victim who died may have known the suspect.
“It appears from the information that we’ve gathered thus far that persons involved knew each other, or were at least familiar with each other,” Weathers said.
Weathers said that the “intended target” of the shooting may have known the suspect.
The shooting unfolded about 4 p.m. near one of two Bath & Body Works stores in the mall.
Police were still working to identify a suspect or suspects Sunday night, Weathers said. They were talking to multiple witnesses.
Hours after the shooting, police searched the mall for anyone inside and afraid to leave. As of 10:15 p.m., the mall was cleared.
“As soon as it happened, the mall went on lockdown, as they are supposed to do,” Weathers said.
Police received reports that some people may have hidden or barricaded themselves in stores when they heard shots being fired, Weathers said.
Buses were brought to the mall to help transport people who were stuck in the mall parking lot when everything was shut down, Weathers said. People wanting to pick someone up at the mall were allowed to do so near Nicholasville Road where the buses were stationed.
A police officer was in the area when shots were first fired in the mall and was able to respond quickly, Weathers said.
The shooting led to a heavy response from police and the Lexington Fire Department as multiple major roads around the mall, including Nicholasville Road and Reynolds Road, were closed into the evening. Police asked the public to avoid the area as their investigation unfolded.
University of Kentucky Healthcare, which has Lexington’s only level 1 trauma center, was restricting visitors Sunday night “for crowd control and safety precautions,” university spokesman Jay Blanton said. The restriction of visitors was related to the shooting and put in place out of an abundance of caution, spokeswoman Kristi Willett said. Operations were expected to return to normal at the hospital Sunday night.
At 5 p.m. Lexington Police tweeted: “THIS IS NOT AN ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENT. The mall is currently being evacuated and officers are checking each store. Mall patrons and employees are being sheltered on LexTran buses. Please continue to avoid the area if possible.”
Fayette Mall said on Twitter that it would remain closed Sunday while police investigated but expected to reopen Monday.
Social media posts Sunday afternoon showed patrons evacuating the mall after the shooting.
Mall witnesses describe what they saw, heard
Alicia Spurlock and Brandon Powell of Jackson County were inside the mall and say they heard 8 or 9 shots and then people started running.
“We just heard multiple gunshots,” Spurlock said. “It took me a minute to register what that was. Everybody just started running.”
Powell said he was in the restroom when a woman ran in. “She said, ‘I’m sorry, but somebody is shooting.’”
Destini Engle, who works in Ann Taylor in the mall, said the first strange thing she noticed was about five or ten people running past her store. At first she didn’t think much of it, because it’s not unusual to see people running around in the main part of the building.
But when she looked back the other way, Engle said she saw a mass of people running toward her store and screaming.
“My heart just sunk, I knew what was going on,” Engle said.
She still hoped that people might have just been running from a fight or something else, but when Engle checked Twitter she saw someone reporting shots fired in the mall. She also saw dozens of police moving around the building, some with “full armor” and long guns.
Engle and her co-workers grabbed a teenager who was working alone at a nearby kiosk, locked the doors of the store and hid in the office area. They were there for 30 to 45 minutes.
Engle was tweeting as events unfolded and said she encountered negativity for being online while everything was going on. But from the office area, the group couldn’t see what was happening and relied on Twitter for updates, she said. She asked that people be kind to those who witnessed the shooting or were involved.
When police found the group in Ann Taylor, they escorted them outside. Engle said the police officers were very calm and she was thankful for their help.
“This is like my worst nightmare, my biggest fear and it happened 50 feet from where I was,” Engle said.
Police said their investigation was ongoing. Anonymous tips can be submitted by using a free P3 Tips app available at www.p3tips.com. Information can also be sent anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 859-253-2020 or Bluegrasscrimestoppers.com.
University of Kentucky offers counseling
The University of Kentucky announced on Twitter Sunday evening that the UK Counseling Center was “mobilizing resources” for students who may have been traumatized by the violence.
“I urge anyone in need, or suffering in the aftermath of senseless violence like this, to reach out and connect,” UK President Eli Capilouto said in a statement. “Asking for help in a time of need is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. It is an acknowledgment that we are part of a community that cares.”
Students seeking help can call the counseling center at 859-257-8701, according to UK. They can also visit the counseling center’s website for more.
Reporter Jeremy Chisenhall contributed to this story.
This story was originally published August 23, 2020 at 4:51 PM.
