On Wednesday, a person was killed and three people were injured when shots were fired at a shopping center in El Paso, Texas. According to the authorities, an off-duty police officer was able to take down the suspect within minutes of the shooting.
During a press conference that took place on Wednesday evening, El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas stated that an off-duty officer who was already present at the Cielo Vista Mall when the shooting began. The officer’s identity was not disclosed.
At roughly 5:05 pm, police received complaints of a suspect firing off numerous bullets, striking at least four persons, and an officer put a suspect into custody at 5:08 pm, according to Pacillas, who added that police received the calls.
According to the police chief, the officer subdued the man without firing a shot in the process. Later on at the news conference, Pacillas stated that it is unknown at this point whether the suspect fired at the off-duty officer and that detectives had just started looking into the crime scene. He also stated that the investigation was only getting started.
Officers from numerous departments, including the El Paso Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the United States Border Patrol, and the local FBI, rushed to the “dynamic scene” at the mall and “immediately brought it under control,” according to the chief of police.
Pacillas stated that the police department has two suspects in custody based on the preliminary information, and he reiterated multiple times that there was “no more threat” to the community. He said this as he was saying that there was “no more danger.”
According to the head of the police department, all parties involved in the shooting were males. This includes the three people who were shot and are still being treated in the hospital. Pacillas said he didn’t know if the shooting was between “two groups of people” or if it was related to a gang.
He said that the Cielo Vista Mall is still a “active crime scene” and will stay that way until investigators are done processing. The police chief told reporters that El Paso’s Burges High School at 7800 Edgemere Blvd has been set up as a place for residents and community members to meet up.
Other officials at the press conference praised the “fantastic response” of the police, including the off-duty officer who made the arrest and officers from other agencies who also came “within minutes.” El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser said that the El Paso police are in charge of the investigation, and that federal, state, and local partners are “working together very well” with them.
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The mayor said that the investigation is just getting started and that they will “share information as soon as possible.” “We’ll give you more information as we get it,” Leeser told reporters. During the press conference, FBI Special Agent Jeff Downing spoke for a short time.
He thanked the officers for how quickly they responded and asked any possible witnesses to share photos or videos with police through an online tip line. “It is important to get this as soon as possible,” he said.
During a time allotted for questions and answers, Chief Pacillas did not reveal the identities of the victims, although he did specify that at least one of them was “working at the store” when the shooting occurred.
Pacillas added that no cop fired any bullets at the location, and that there were no injuries sustained by any officers. It has not been determined what kind of firearm was used in the incident. According to him, none of the suspects is currently hospitalized.
The head of police has stated that any vehicles that were parked at the mall are considered to be part of the crime scene, and that detectives will clear the vehicles before their owners will be able to recover them.
During the press conference, the mayor also provided an answer to a question on whether or not the shooting would have been more severe if the off-duty cop had not been present.
“We did our job,” Mayor Leeser said in response. “All officers were in the surrounding area within minutes.”
Earlier this month, on February 3, Pacillas was given the position of interim police chief following the passing of former Police Chief Greg Allen on January 17. Since 2009, he has been serving in the role of assistant police chief.
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