Three people, including a 15-year-old accused of opening fire in the parking garage at Governor’s Square Mall, have been arrested following a Tallahassee Police Department investigation into a shooting that sparked widespread panic and a brief lockdown Saturday afternoon.
The shooting happened shortly before 3 p.m. in the mall’s parking garage and prompted a large police response to one of the city’s busiest shopping destinations. Authorities said no one was injured.
According to TPD, investigators determined a 15-year-old fired at a vehicle occupied by people who had been involved in an earlier altercation with him inside the mall. During the gunfire, a second vehicle occupied by an uninvolved family was also struck by bullets.
Despite the damage to both vehicles, no one inside either car was injured.
As detectives continued investigating, TPD’s Violent Crime Response Team located the teen and several other individuals at a residence within Tallahassee city limits. All were taken into custody without incident, TPD said on Sunday.
During the investigation, officers recovered multiple firearms, including some reported stolen, as well as illegal drugs, police said.
The 15-year-old was charged with discharging a firearm at an occupied conveyance, possession of a firearm by a delinquent and four counts of probation violation.
A second suspect, Ronderick Troupe, 18, was charged with possession of more than 20 grams of cannabis, possession of a machine gun and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police also arrested a 14-year-old on a probation violation charge.
“This investigation reflects the dedication and persistence of our Violent Crime Response Team detectives, CIB detectives and patrol officers,” Police Chief Lawrence Revell said in a statement. “Violent crime can have a devastating impact on victims and our community as a whole. Our officers will continue following the evidence wherever it leads, holding those who commit crimes accountable and removing illegally possessed firearms from our streets.”
Saturday’s shooting caused alarm among shoppers and employees at Governor’s Square Mall, according to previous reporting by the Tallahassee Democrat. Numerous patrol vehicles converged on the scene as officers worked to secure the area and determine what had happened.
Anyone with information about criminal activity is asked to contact the Tallahassee Police Department at 850-891-4200. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Solvers at 850-574-TIPS.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: TPD: Three arrested after 15-year-old opens fire in Tallahassee mall garage
