Two juveniles were arrested Sunday afternoon after a large fight broke out between two groups of juveniles in the parking garage at Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City, according to police. One person was injured during the altercation, and officers recovered two BB guns from the arrested juveniles.
According to okcfox.com, both suspects were minors who had BB guns on them at the time of the fight. Officers recovered the two weapons from the juveniles who were taken into custody, but police said they did not know whether either gun had actually been fired. The outlet also reported that the injured person's wounds appeared to be from the physical fight itself rather than from a BB gun.
That account differs from reporting by KFOR, which described the injury as grazing wounds and said officials were inclined to believe one of the two BB guns may have been fired during the confrontation. The conflicting accounts have not been reconciled, and it remains unclear exactly how the injury occurred.
What Led to the Fight Remains a Mystery
Investigators have not said what sparked the confrontation between the two groups. Details surrounding what led up to the brawl are unknown at this time, the station reported, leaving open questions about who was involved and why tensions boiled over in the parking structure.
Beyond the two juveniles taken into custody, other people involved in the melee were removed from the area and trespassed from the mall property, per the same account. People near the scene were told to leave the area as officers worked to clear the garage and restore order.
Not the First Violent Incident at the Mall
Penn Square Mall has seen other violent episodes in recent years. In a separate case, Oklahoma City police said shots were fired inside the mall in front of the movie theater during an argument that turned physical, as reported by KOCO. Police said in that incident the suspected shooter fired at the victim three or four times before fleeing through the south entry and exit doors, and investigators later recovered four bullet casings, three bullet contact points in a wall and numerous bullet fragments at the scene.
That shooting led to the arrest of 19-year-old Shyanne Tucker, according to a separate okcfox.com report, with the Oklahoma City FBI, Dallas FBI and Dallas Police Department all assisting Oklahoma City police in that investigation.
Broader Concerns Over Youth and Guns
Sunday's fight comes amid wider concern in the region about how young people are obtaining firearms. News9 has reported that an 11-year-old, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were recently detained in connection with separate homicide investigations in Oklahoma County, part of what the outlet describes as a pattern of youth violence raising alarm among residents and officials alike. Recent acts of violence involving young people in the county have intensified questions about how children and teenagers are gaining access to weapons, according to News9.
No further details have been released about the condition of the person injured in Sunday's fight or about any charges the two arrested juveniles may face. Police have not said whether the investigation into the parking garage brawl remains open.
