Authorities said the suspect who fatally shot one person and wounded three others at a shopping center in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, was apprehended within minutes by an off-duty police officer.
During a news conference Wednesday night, El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas said an off-duty officer, who was not identified, was already at the Cielo Vista shopping center when the shooting began.
Pacillas said police received calls of a suspect who fired multiple rounds, hitting at least four people, at approximately 5:05 p.m. and the officer apprehended the suspect at 5:08 p.m.
The officer also brought the suspect down without firing a shot, the police chief said.
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Police officers stand guard at the entrance of a shopping center, Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Later in the news conference, Pacillas said it is unclear at this time if the suspect shot the off-duty officer and that investigators were just beginning to investigate the crime scene.
The police chief said officers from various departments, including the El Paso Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), US Border Patrol and the local FBI responded to the “dynamic scene.” at the mall and “quickly got it under control.” .”
Pacillas said that based on preliminary information, the police department has two suspects in custody and repeatedly stressed that there was “no further danger” to the community.
All the people involved in the shooting are men, the police chief said, including the three victims, who remain hospitalized.
Police officers walk in a shopping center parking lot, Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Asked if the shooting was gang-related or facilitated between “two groups of people,” Pacillas said the answer is still unknown.
The Cielo Vista shopping center remains an “active crime scene” and will continue to be closed and secured until investigators finish processing, he said.
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Burges High School in El Paso, located at 7800 Edgemere Blvd, was established as a reunification center for residents and community members, the police chief told reporters.
Other officials at the press conference affirmed the “fantastic response” from law enforcement, including the off-duty officer who made the arrest and officers from other agencies who also responded “within minutes.”
El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser confirmed that El Paso police are leading the investigation, with “great cooperation” from federal, state and local partners.
Law enforcement officers are seen at the entrance to the Cielo Vista Shopping Center, Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
The mayor said the investigation is in its early stages and that “they will release information in a timely manner.”
“We will have more updates as we get the information,” Leeser told reporters.
FBI Special Agent Jeff Downing spoke briefly during the press conference.
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He congratulated the officers on their response and encouraged potential witnesses to share photos or videos with law enforcement through a tip line accessible online.
“It’s important to get this done as soon as possible,” he said.
Police officers gather at the entrance of a shopping center, Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
During a question-and-answer session, Chief Pacillas did not reveal the identification of the victims, but clarified that at least one was “working in the store” when the shooting occurred.
Pacillas also said that no officers fired shots at the scene and no officers were injured.
The weapon used in the shooting was not identified.
An FBI agent walks outside a shopping center, Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
None of the suspects are hospitalized, he said.
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The police chief said all the vehicles that were parked at the mall are considered part of the crime scene and investigators will clear them before their owners can recover them.
During the press conference, the mayor also responded to a question about whether the shooting would have been worse if the off-duty officer had not been there.
“We did our job,” Mayor Leeser said in response. “All the officers were in the vicinity within minutes.”
Pacillas was named interim police chief earlier this month, on February 3, after former police chief Greg Allen died on January 17. He has served as deputy police chief since 2009.
