(WXYZ) — A 20-year-old man is dead, and a 19-year-old woman is recovering after a shooting inside the Great Lakes Crossing Outlets food court in Auburn Hills on Saturday.
Watch Whitney Burney's video report:
Police say a group of men got into a fight inside the food court bathroom. Shortly after, two men attacked a 22-year-old in the food court. Investigators say the 22-year-old pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots, injuring the 19-year-old woman and killing the 20-year-old man, who was involved in the food court brawl.
The shooter was taken into custody.
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Monday, family identified the 20-year-old who was killed as Keshawn Emery of Pontiac. Emery graduated from the Arts and Technology Academy of Pontiac, where he was a basketball player.
Friends and family say they don't want the 20-year-old to be defined by this one moment in his life.
"Please remember Keshawn for who he truly was, not just the way his story ended. He had a smile that could light up any room, and if you knew him, you knew how deeply he loved his mom," said Emery's girlfriend of 4 years. "Everything he did was to make sure she was okay and to build a better life. He loved hard, stayed loyal to the people he cared about, and never stopped chasing more for himself and the people he loved."
Shoppers returned to the mall Monday with some added anxiety.
Shenita McKinney of Pontiac said she narrowly avoided being at the mall when the shooting happened.
"It was sheer luck that I didn't come here Saturday," McKinney said. "It was disappointing that that happened because I don’t want to have to think of this place negatively. So hearing that something like that finally happened up here, it’s like, really."
Kennady Gilbert of Auburn Hills, who works at the mall, said the shooting hit close to home.
"My job wasn't near it, but the thing is, it can happen anywhere. So, it's just very scary," Gilbert said. "Nobody wants to lose their family from gun violence."
Police confirmed the 22-year-old suspected shooter was a concealed pistol license holder. William Kucyk, a former law enforcement officer, attorney, and owner of Action Impact Firearms and Training Center, said gatherings always carry some risk.
"I think anytime people gather, there's a potential for violence, unfortunately," Kucyk said.
Kucyk also says, despite popular belief, many malls are not gun-free zones. Kucyk said even licensed gun owners face a high legal bar before using their weapon.
"If you're going to carry a gun, you need to know that before you can shoot it at a human being, you need to be facing immediate risk of life-threatening injury or death. That's not always clear cut now, is it?" Kucyk said.
Whether the 22-year-old will face charges is now in the hands of the Oakland County Prosecutor. Potential charges have not yet been announced.
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