Teen suspected of mall shooting reported by mother

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after his mother reported him to police following the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl in Washington.

Jayda Woods-Johnson, 13, was murdered at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood. Police said the suspect has been identified as a 16-year-old boy from Edmonds. The boy is in custody and will be booked on murder charges.

Newsweek contacted the Lynnwood Police Department for additional information.

Shoppers have been advised to avoid the mall, which was closed following an altercation between two groups of teenagers near the food court.

The altercation resulted in an exchange of gunfire, after which both groups fled on foot.

Jayda, 13, who was not involved in the clash, was hit by a stray bullet.

Jayda was taken to hospital after the incident but died.

The Lynnwood Police Department released images of the suspected shooter, asking anyone with information to come forward, but the boy was later brought in by his own mother.

In a statement, the Lynnwood Police Department said: “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.”

Police say the weapon used in the crime has not yet been recovered and are urging anyone with knowledge of individuals involved in the crime to call 425-670-5623.

An investigation is underway.

The shooting comes shortly after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis in an advisory, citing a nationally representative survey that found it was the leading cause of death among young Americans (ages 1 to 19) since 2020.

The same survey found that 54% of American adults or their family members have been victims of a “firearms-related incident.”

“Gun violence is an urgent public health crisis that has resulted in loss of life, unimaginable suffering, and profound grief for far too many Americans… To protect the health and well-being of Americans, especially our children, we must act now with the clarity, courage, and urgency that this moment demands,” Murthy said.

However, the National Rifle Association (NRA) took exception to the surgeon general's claims, suggesting instead that President Biden's “reluctance to prosecute and punish criminals” was “the root cause.”

“This is an extension of the Biden administration’s war on law-abiding gun owners. America has a crime problem caused by criminals. The reluctance of President Biden and many of his allies to pursue and punish criminals is the root cause. That’s a simple fact,” NRA Executive Director Randy Kozuch said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

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