Horror: 13-year-old boy shot dead in Lynnwood mall after fight and shooting

A shooting at a local mall in Lynnwood, Washington, left one person dead: a 13-year-old girl was killed by a stray bullet, while police said the shooter was in custody.

Chaos broke out at Alderwood Mall on Wednesday night, the Lynnwood Police Department revealed in updates to X, after bullets began flying amid a violent altercation involving two groups of teenagers.

“Shooting incident at a mall. Please avoid the mall area. If anyone witnessed an altercation near the food court and left the area, please report to LPD with any information,” police wrote on the platform.

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It's unclear what started the fight, but during it one of the perpetrators reportedly pulled out a gun and started shooting. The 13-year-old girl, later identified as Jayda Woods-Johnson, was not involved in the fight, FOX13 reported, but was tragically shot.

She was rushed to a local hospital for treatment but ultimately succumbed to her injuries. “Jayda Woods-Johnson, 13, was tragically murdered on July 3rd while at the Alderwood Mall. Jayda’s family requests privacy at this time and asks that all media contact be directed through the Lynnwood Police Department,” police wrote in an update on X at 10:55 p.m. PDT Wednesday.

The shooting happened shortly after 7 p.m. in Lynnwood, a small town about 17 miles north of Seattle. A stay-at-home order was issued after the threat, but it was lifted shortly afterward, with police writing just five minutes after posting an announcement of the shooting that the order had been lifted.

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For several hours, authorities searched for the suspect, who was photographed wearing a white hooded sweatshirt and walking through the food court with friends. “If you recognize the man in the white sweatshirt, please call 911 or LPD with any information. He is believed to be armed,” police wrote, releasing multiple security camera images of the boy.

He was later identified as a 16-year-old from Edmonds, another small city just north of Seattle, about 4 miles west of Lynnwood. The LPD wrote on X: “The suspect has been identified as a 16-year-old male from Edmonds. He was brought in by his mother and is in custody. He will be booked on a murder charge. The weapon has not yet been recovered. Detectives continue to follow up on leads and gather all available evidence.”

Many X users praised the teen's mother for bringing him in. In a separate press release from the LPD, the officers wrote: “The Lynnwood Police Department extends its deepest condolences to Jayda's family and friends for their unimaginable loss due to this senseless act of violence.”

Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell released a statement Thursday about the shooting, echoing the sentiments of the LPD, saying her “heart breaks for the family of this young woman killed in a senseless act of violence.”

She said gun violence is “ravaging” young people in her constituency and added: “The brazen acts of violence and disregard for the safety of our community must stop.

“Our community members deserve to feel safe when shopping, dining or just enjoying a nice night out,” she wrote in a statement to FOX13. “Our mall and 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 senseless acts of violence.”

Of Jayda's family, Frizzell wrote: “No one should have to go through this grief; the journey ahead for everyone who knows this young woman will be difficult and they will remain in my thoughts and prayers.”

In a latest update, police wrote: “If anyone knows any of the individuals involved in this crime, please call Detective Bucholtz at 425-670-5623.”