Man strikes woman with gun on Christmas Eve inside Victorville mall, sheriff's officials say
On Christmas Eve, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a man with a gun inside the Mall of Victor Valley in Victorville.
The reported incident happened just before 4 p.m. Friday. It was the third gun-related incident at the Victorville mall since November.
Sheriff’s spokeswoman Gloria Huerta told the Daily Press on Friday that a man and woman were arguing inside the mall when he brandished a gun, swung it, and hit the woman in the head.
“Bystanders intervened and pushed the male,” Huerta said. “The gun fell from his grasp, and people ran away.”
Deputies responded to the mall and launched an investigation that found no shots fired.
Deputies later located and detained the man near the Red Lobster restaurant in the mall parking lot. That’s where they discovered a gun in his backpack, Huerta said.
Several people who were at the mall during the incident described the scene as chaotic, with customers running for cover or toward the nearest exit, and employees locking down their stores..
The sheriff’s investigation continued on Friday night, and information on arrests or injuries was unavailable, Huerta said.
Wednesday night shooting
Around 8 p.m. Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies responded to the report of shots fired outside the mall.
Huerta told the Daily Press that juvenile victims were shot at but were not hit and that a suspect remains outstanding.
The investigation is ongoing.
November shooting
Sheriff’s officials said 35-year-old William Pierce of Pomona died on Nov. 19 after a shooting at the mall in Victorville.
The shooting also involved an 8-year-old girl and her 19-year-old brother, who were both injured outside the Red Robin restaurant located at the mall.
Sheriff’s spokesperson Mara Rodriguez on Nov. 22 said the injured siblings had been released from the hospital and were recovering at home.
Rodriguez also reported that Pierce was not related to the injured siblings.
Since the November shooting, sheriff’s officials have not released any other details regarding the shooting, although several requests have been made.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Instagram @RenegadeReporter and Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Man strikes woman with gun inside Victorville mall, sheriff's officials say
