An 8-year-old boy was killed during an after an unidentified gunman opened fire in an Alabama shopping mall on Friday. The incident also left a girl and two adults injured.

The gunfire began at 3:18 PM on the first floor of the Riverchase Galleria, the state's largest shopping mall. The gunman fatally shot Royta Giles Jr, who was hit in the head. The Hoover Fire Department rushed the victim to the Children's Hospital. He was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital, USA Today reported.

A female child was also transported to the Children's Hospital. Two adults, a male and a female, were transported to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. Authorities did not release the victims' names or list their conditions.

Firstborn

Royta and his family were in line to get into a child's clothing store. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shop only allowed a limited number of people inside at a time.

Multiple shots suddenly rang out from the mall's food court. An employee at Hollister in the mall, said she heard six to seven shots fired. The victim's mother, Royta, his three siblings, and his stepfather immediately hit the ground.

"When we all got up, he was the only one who didn't get up," Royta's mother said.

According to AL.com, Royta was the oldest among the Giles children. He had just finished second grade at Jonesboro Elementary and aspired to become a rapper.

The principal of Jonesboro Elementary, Dr Anjell Edwards, described Royta as an energetic and smart student. She said the victim's teachers and other school staffers would always convince him to consider becoming a lawyer.

Investigators believe the suspect may have left in a car after they spotted a trail of blood leading to a parking deck. The police department is still reviewing surveillance tapes in hopes of identifying the suspect.

2018 Riverchase Galleria Shooting

In November 2018, 20-year-old Erron Martez Dequan Brown opened fire inside the Alabama shopping mall, gravely injuring an 18-year-old and 12-year-old.

A succeeding investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of Erron Martez Dequan Brown, who was responsible for the Riverchase shooting. The 20-year-old suspect was arrested at a relative's home in Atlanta.

The Hoover Police had initially shot Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford, an active-duty soldier, after officers mistakenly suspected him of being the gunman. In a media conference, they announced the soldier injured the victims of the 2018 shooting, NY Post reported.

The police department retracted the statement 20 hours later, noting that Bradford was "unlikely" involved in the shooting. However, they said he was caught running away from the scene with a weapon.

Bradford's parents said the victim, an Army veteran, had a permit to carry a weapon. They called on police to release body-cam footage of the incident.

The unnamed officer who shot and killed Bradford was placed on administrative leave during the official probe. It was later ruled that the shooting was justified and will not be taken to trial.

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