Saturday afternoon at Penn Square Mall turned tense in a hurry when a teenager was spotted raising a handgun while walking on the second floor, according to Oklahoma City police. Officers say the sight of the weapon triggered a brief foot chase that spilled out of the mall and into a nearby shopping center before the suspect was taken into custody.
Police report that no shots were fired and no injuries were reported during the incident. The teen was detained a short time later in the Belle Isle Station shopping area.
According to News 9, officers said the teen was visibly carrying the handgun inside the mall before taking off and running from police for a short distance. The outlet reports the youth was ultimately captured near the east side of a Walmart that sits beside the Nordstrom Rack at Belle Isle Station.
Police Response And Where The Teen Was Caught
Officers and mall security moved quickly, working to secure the area inside the mall and then canvassing the surrounding shopping complex. They tracked the suspect from the upper level of Penn Square Mall to the adjacent Belle Isle Station, where the arrest was made.
The nearby Nordstrom Rack at Belle Isle Station serves as a key landmark for the busy retail hub and sits just east of Penn Square Mall.
Previous Trouble At Penn Square Mall
Although Saturday’s incident ended without gunfire, Penn Square Mall has a history of more serious violence that has drawn heavy police response. A previous shooting at the mall led to arrests and a broader Oklahoma City Police Department investigation, as reported by KOCO. Episodes like that are a big reason officials move fast when they hear about any weapon at a crowded shopping center.
Police have not released the teen’s name, and detailed charges have not yet been made public. Charging decisions were described as pending in the initial reports from News 9, and the case remains under investigation by Oklahoma City authorities.
