New information on double shooting at Hamilton Place Mall

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF) — Chattanooga police have released new information about the shooting outside of the Hamilton Place Mall that sent two people to the hospital Friday night.

According to investigators, The two shooting victims have been identified as Malik Beavers, 18 and Adam Bulloch, 19.

Both victims suffered non-life threatening injuries.

According to investigators, the incident began inside the mall where a group of people got into an altercation. The altercation carried over into the parking lot outside the Sears store where Beavers and Bulloch were both shot.

Two suspects who were detained by police were later released when investigators reviewed surveillance video from the mall.

Investigators have determined that one person fired shots in the parking lot. They have also determined the incident to be gang motivated.

During a Friday night press conference, police confirmed that one of the victims is a known gang member.

“It’s crazy that people can’t even come out and go shopping without having to worry about getting shot,” said Shanna Hilke who was shopping in J.C. Penny when one of the gunshot victims walked into the store.

“There was blood on the floor and customers were coming upstairs saying there something going on downstairs, there’s blood on the floor, so I started to head towards the registers and then that’s when they came on the intercom system and said everybody in the store need to check out and leave immediately through the men’s shoe department,” Hilke said.

Given the amount of Black Friday shoppers who were outside the mall when the shooting happened, police told News 12 there could have easily been more victims.

“They put our community members in danger and that’s the reason why you see the response that you see today. As you look around there’s police officers everywhere, fire and EMS responded just like we always do to take care of our community members,” said CPD spokesperson Victor Miller.