“My immediate reaction was like, ‘No way I’m about to die in a Cheesecake Factory,’ and I was wondering how I could even text my parents that I am in a mall with an active shooter,” Castilleja School junior Brooke Oliveira said.
A shooting broke out at Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara at around 5:40 p.m. on Black Friday, leaving three injured. The San Jose Police Department reported that the violence started after a verbal dispute between one of the victims and the shooter, who pulled a firearm from his waistband and shot at the man he had been arguing with.
The shooter then fired multiple rounds, resulting in a passerby woman and a 16-year-old girl being hit by stray bullets. None of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries, but all were transferred to local hospitals. A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with attempted murder, among other charges. Authorities believe the event was gang-related…