Marqel Cockrell, 20, fled the state after the shooting but was arrested in Nevada just hours later.
According tofrom police, officers were called to the Mall of Victor Valley just after 6:30 p.m. Tuesday for reports of shots fired. Police say Cockrell, who is the co-owner of a store called Sole Addicts, ran after two shoplifters. While chasing the shoplifters, Cockrell fired several shots, missing them but hitting the 9-year-old girl.
The girl, identified by family members as Ava Chruniak, had been getting ready for pictures with the Easter bunny in the mall when the shots were fired, said her grandmother, Robin Moraga-Saldarelli. The girl was left with three gunshot wounds, including two in her arm, Moraga-Saldarelli said. The girl was flown by helicopter to Loma Linda University Medical Center, police say. She reportedly is in stable condition.
“It’ll be awhile before the bone heals and then we will see the extent of the nerve damage, but she’s a trooper. She really is a tough little kid,” Moraga-Saldarelli tellsThe Associated Press contributed to this storyNote to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.
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