UPDATE: Police identify victim in Providence Place Mall shooting

By: John Krinjak

Email: jkrinjak@abc6.com

Twitter: @johnkrinjakABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Providence Police identified the victim who was shot at the Providence Place Mall on Monday.

Police say 19-year-old Leonard Liriano, of Cranston, was shot in the leg on the second floor of the North Parking Garage.

Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare says those injuries appear non life-threatening.

A 17-year-old male, of Pawtucket, is in custody for Monday’s shooting at the Providence Place Mall.

Major David Lapatin, of the Providence Police Department, confirmed to ABC6 News Tuesday that they are searching for more suspects.

“This was not an active shooter situation and the victim appears to have been targeted,” said Public Information Officer for the Providence Police Department, Lindsay Lague.

“We saw a bunch of cop cars pull up and they were running inside and they all had their guns out,” said Tahlia Vazquez, who works at Panera. “It was very hectic, people were just running down and nobody knew what to do.”

Police say it all stemmed from a fight between two groups of young men on the second floor of the mall outside the Foot Locker. 

“That fight traverses from the Foot Locker into Nordstrom to the garage. Once in the garage, the fight escalates where someone pulls out a firearm and that young man is shot,” said Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements.

Liriano ran into Nordstrom for help before being taken to the hospital.

“I was scared. I called my mom, and I started crying because I saw someone come down on a stretcher,” said Vazquez.

“The police come, tell us to get out because somebody is shooting, nobody can be there,” said Santos Mejia, who works inside the mall.

The mall activated its emergency alarm. The entire mall and all parking garages were evacuated around 4:45 p.m., as police swept the building. 

The mall was deemed safe around 6:18 p.m. 

“They said maybe the shooter is still inside, they don’t know, so they have to take everybody out,” said Mejia.

“My manager was trying to get everyone behind the counter, we had no idea what happened,” said Vazquez. 

Police told ABC6 the shooting could be gang-related.

Even with so many people involved, Clements is confident an arrest will come quickly.

“The assailant is at large but there’s no doubt in my mind that within a short amount of time we’ll identify him and apprehend him,” said Clements. 

Veterans Memorial Auditorium was placed on lockdown. As of 6:20 p.m., the lockdown was lifted. 

People were allowed back into this garage to get their cars, but the mall remained closed Monday night.

© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2018