A 17-year-old has been arrested in an attempted shooting that took place in the second-level parking garage of the Providence Place Mall Jan. 15. The 19-year-old victim, identified as Leonard Liriano on the Providence Police Department’s Twitter, was shot in the leg but not fatally wounded.
The shooter was arrested in his Pawtucket home the night of the shooting, Providence Police Chief Hugh Clements Jr. told CBS Boston. He was charged with and arrested for conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon, according to WPRI.
While speaking to WPRI, Clements said that more arrests may take place and that the shooting may have been related to gang activity.
What began as an altercation between the two men moved from the second-level walkway to Nordstrom’s and finally to the parking garage, where it turned into an attempted shooting. Officers swarmed the building and, in an attempt to bring the gunman out of the mall itself, commanded everyone inside to leave immediately. The gunman escaped, leaving the victim to recover from wounds on his leg.
Though the mall announced that shoppers were to evacuate the facility, many were initially unsure why. Word of the shooting spread slowly through the crowds, witnesses told the Providence Journal.
After being arrested, the shooter was taken to Rhode Island Training School, Clements told WPRI. He appeared before a Family Court judge and was released on home confinement. The suspect’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13.
According to WPRI, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza called the suspect a “knucklehead” and emphasized the increased safety Providence has seen in the last few years.
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