Syracuse police said the person responsible for opening fire at Destiny USA on Black Friday has been arrested.
Kyree Truax, 21, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment in the first degree.
Officers responded to the shopping center shortly after 7 p.m. where they found a 20-year-old man in the food court area with multiple gunshot wounds to the leg. Police said the victim, who has not been identified, was taken to a nearby hospital. He is expected to survive.
Police said the mall property was "systemically searched and determined that a threat was no longer present."
Chief Kenton Buckner said Truax was involved in a traffic accident on Franklin Street and Herald Place following the shooting. It's believed that he and the victim know each other but their relationship remains unclear.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Syracuse Police Department at (315) 442-5222.
Chief Buckner offered a message to the public at a news conference Saturday.
“Don’t allow two or three knuckleheads to ruin our holiday season,” Buckner said. “An event happened. We responded to the event. There was no significant injury as a result of it. Please continue to enjoy your holiday season but let’s be responsible. Keep your eyes and ears open. If you see something that makes you uncomfortable, please let us know.”
Many mallgoers were doing their Black Friday shopping when the shooting took place. Some voiced their concern on social media.
Pyramid Management Group, the owners of Destiny USA, released a statement Friday night.
“This evening’s unfortunate and isolated incident at Destiny USA was between two known acquaintances and not a random act or part of any intentional threat against the property," said the mall owners. "The altercation resulted in the discharge of a firearm inside our facility and injury to one of the two individuals. Law enforcement officials and Destiny USA personnel were already onsite at the time of the incident inside the facility, and along with our tenants, immediately engaged in a comprehensive, routinely practiced and programmed response to address the incident. As such, Destiny USA immediately went into lockdown"
This is the second year in a row that an incident has taken place on Black Friday. Two people were stabbed inside of Macy's in 2018.