Updated at 10:45 p.m.
A 13-year-old girl struck by errant gunfire at Alderwood Mall died Wednesday, Lynnwood police said.
The victim, Jayda Woods-Johnson, was shot at about 6:05 p.m. According to Lynnwood police, an altercation broke out between two groups of teenagers, at which point a teen male pulled out a handgun and fired at least one shot. The victim was nearby and wasn’t part of the conflict, authorities said.
The suspected shooter has been identified as a 16-year old male from Edmonds. He was brought into a police station by his mother and turned himself in. He is now in police custody and will be booked into jail for murder, police said.
According to witnesses at the scene, the shooting occurred near the mall’s food court. The mall was locked down for safety and police determined after a search that the suspect had left the area
The gun has not yet been recovered. Detectives are continuing to follow all leads and collect all available evidence, police said.
“The Lynnwood Police Department expresses our deepest sympathy to Jayda’s family and friends for their unimaginable loss due to this senseless act of violence,” Deputy Chief Patrick Fagan said in a statement.
— Story and photos by Jasmine Contreras-Lewis
Won’t be going back to Alderwood Mall until they install metal detectors.
Parents need to keep guns away from kids.
We need to keep guns away from parents.
I’m so sick of all the gun violence and my heart breaks for her family. It’s way too easy for anyone who wants to, to get a gun.