Teenage girl shot to death during altercation at mall, suspect's mom turned him in

A 13-year-old girl was fatally shot during an altercation at the Alderwood Mall food court near Seattle, Wednesday evening.

Lynnwood police said the incident began around 6:04 p.m., with an altercation between two groups of people. During the altercation, one teenage boy pulled out a gun and fired at the other group. However, the bullet hit an uninvolved 13-year-old girl who was not connected to either group.

Police identified the victim as Jayda Woods-Johnson.

The shooter, a 16-year-old boy from Edmonds, was brought into a police station later in the evening by his mother. He's in custody and will be booked into jail for murder.

Johnson was taken to a nearby hospital shortly after the shooting and eventually died from her injuries, police said.

"The Lynnwood Police Department expresses our deepest sympathy to (the victim's) family and friends for their unimaginable loss due to this senseless act of violence," the Lynnwood Police Department wrote in a news release.

KOMO News spoke to a mall employee who described being at work at the time of the shooting.

"Me and my other coworkers were in the front of our store when we heard a loud boom, and then we saw two males that pulled out a weapon, and they fired at another individual," said James Jacobo, a retail employee at Alderwood mall. "After that happened, there was a lot of running from customers at stores. "Scared. I was very scared," Jacobo added. "I never would've thought this could happen at our Alderwood mall. It was very scary. Everyone was running and in a state of panic and it was very scary.

Alderwood Mall went into a brief lockdown following the shooting.

The murder weapon has not yet been recovered, police said, and detectives are continuing to follow all leads and collect any available evidence.

"It was very jawdropping and very scary," Jacobo said. "Initially, we heard a very loud boom, which we thought was somebody dropping something. But then we saw what happened, and we started evacuating people into our store and closing our doors, and evacuating people into the back of our doors. Then we had to go back out into our emergency exits."

Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell released a statement Thursday morning, calling the incident a "horrible tragedy" and commending police for their "willingness to serve our city in dangerous and difficult situations."

"My heart breaks for the family of this young lady killed by a senseless act of violence," Frizzell said. "I grieve for her family as they attempt to come to grips with the loss of their daughter. No one should have to go through this sorrow; the journey ahead for all who know this young lady will be difficult and they will remain in my thoughts and prayers.

"Gun violence is ravaging our young people. It is tearing our families apart and if we allow it, it can tear at the fiber of our community as well. Brazen acts of violence and disregard for the safety of our community needs to stop. Our community members deserve to feel safe while out shopping, or dining, or simply enjoying a nice evening. Our mall and the surrounding areas, our city parks, and our neighborhoods must remain safe and welcoming gathering places for our community members. We must come together and take a stand against these acts of senseless violence."