Mayfair Mall Shooter in Police Custody

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A 15-year-old male was arrested in connection to the Mayfair Mall shooting that occurred on Nov. 20, according to Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber.

Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa (Credit: Jessica McBride)

“The Wauwatosa Police Department is pleased to announce the arrest of a 15 year old Hispanic male in connection with the shooting at Mayfair Mall,” said Police Chief Barry Weber.

The suspect was arrested on Saturday and is a Milwaukee resident, according to Public Information Officer, Abby Pavlik.

The shooting occurred at around 2:50 p.m. in front of the Macy’s store and injured seven adults and one minor, a majority of the individuals have been released. 

Weber further stated that they would not be releasing a picture or name because the suspect is a juvenile.

Weber stated that the suspect was pulled over in a traffic stop and that they “scooped him up” there. 

Officers were on the scene within 30 seconds of receiving the first call, the chief said.

“Their first priority was to secure the immediate and render first aid,” said Weber. “During this time, the shooter exited the mall as other patrons went out.”

Weber said the process of clearing the mall took six hours due to the size of the mall. 

Police barricade outside Mayfair Mall (Credit: Jessica McBride)

While the seven tactical teams secured the mall, investigators interviewed bystanders and people in the mall.

“It is important to stress that this act of violence was not a random one, but an altercation between two groups,” said Weber. “Right now I would just be speculating because it seems that in the past where people come to the mall to settle their scores. We do know there was some sort of altercation and that’s when the bullets started flying.”

Police said they didn’t yet know whether gang activity was involved. The chief said four of those wounded were “innocent bystanders” and that all are expected to live.

Weber said that charges have not been brought to the district attorney yet.

“The initial information that was released was erroneous about who we were looking for,” said Weber in a press conference on Sunday evening. 

In a press release, Weber initially stated that the suspect was believed to be a white male based on preliminary witness accounts. 

“We knew we were looking for a white male but we didn’t know an age or anything. Later that evening we developed some leads and we thought it might be somebody younger than described,” explained the chief.

Members of the public took were upset about the lack of information provided about the shooter. 

“Our hearts go out to those who were injured in the shooting at Mayfair Mall today,” said Gov. Tony Evers in a tweet on Nov. 20.

 “We are also thinking about all the customers and workers affected by this act of violence and are grateful for the first responders who helped get people to safety. As we learn more, we offer our support for the entire Wauwatosa community as they grapple with this tragedy.” 

Mayfair has taken measures to curb violence at the mall. A curfew for Fridays and Saturdays has been established at the mall where minors must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 20, after 2 p.m.

This shooting occurred nearly nine months after the Molson Coors shooting in Milwaukee earlier this year.

2020 has seen 571 mass shootings as opposed to 417 in 2019. Since 2009, more than 1,500 people have been killed in a mass shooting.

The Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention stated that the United States is on track to have the most mass shootings since the Gun Violence Archive started tracking mass shootings in 2013. 

“The impact of gun violence stretches far beyond those killed or injured, but impacts their families, friends, co-workers, and entire communities,” said the Milwaukee Health Department in a press release. “These events can be especially traumatic for children and youth.”

The health department urges anyone who needs counseling support to contact the Milwaukee Trauma Response Team at: 414-257-7621.