Penn Square Mall Releases Statement Following 2nd Shooting In One Month

Two shootings at Penn Square Mall within a month of each other are raising security questions for some shoppers.

Since Saturday, patrons have taken to social media to demand answers from the mall.

The second shooting happened Saturday near the movie theatre, according to police.

“I heard about five or six shots and they sounded really, really close. I mean, like right outside the door,” shopper Jay Benton said.

Benton and other shoppers reported running and hiding within the mall after hearing the shots.

Officers quickly discovered the shooting appeared to be isolated.

One person suffered minor injuries from shrapnel.

According to investigators, an off-duty Oklahoma County deputy chased the suspected shooter off mall property.

Police are still trying to identify the suspect.

“We're looking at video right now. All we know right now is a black male, pretty vague,” Oklahoma City Police Lt. Michelle Henderson said at the scene.

News 9 requested an interview and answers to several questions regarding safety at Penn Square Mall to Simon, the mall’s ownership company.

The mall released the following statement to News 9 saying:

“We are committed to providing a safe and secure shopping environment for our shoppers, retailers and employees. We have a highly skilled and experienced security team that utilizes a number of proactive security measures, both seen and unseen. We also maintain a close working relationship with local law enforcement authorities to ensure that the appropriate security measures are being taken to help provide and maintain a safe environment at our property. As this is a police matter, all further inquiries should be directed to the Oklahoma City Police Department.” 

Last month, following a similar shooting incident that reportedly terrified customers, the mall sent the following statement:

“At Penn Square Mall, we are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our shoppers, retailers and employees. We have a highly skilled and experienced security team and a number of proactive security measures in place, both seen and unseen, including maintaining continuous security patrols and working with local law enforcement to ensure appropriate security measures are being taken to help provide and maintain a safe environment at our property.”

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