Riverchase Galleria Videos: Shooting Aftermath [GRAPHIC]

A gunman shot an 18-year-old man inside the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover, Alabama as the shopping mall filled with early Black Friday shoppers, and a 12-year-old girl was also shot in the melee that erupted, Hoover police initially said. A Hoover police officer who was already at the mall then shot and killed a man they initially said was the gunman.

Although that was the initial police account, they no longer believe the man shot by the police – Emantic Bradford – fired the shots. That actual gunamn, whom they did not name, is at large, police said. Bradford is the son of a cop who once tried to serve in the United States Army.

Bradford’s stepmother wrote on Facebook, “First of all I’m sick of all the lies going around and I’m very upset with the news and the HPD for releasing his name and photo and haven’t yet talked to either parent. So if you wasn’t there please respect the family and let my son RIP.”

Erron Brown is now accused of being the actual shooter.

Bradford’sfamily says he was a Good Samaritan who was doing nothing wrong and who was licensed to carry a gun.

Hoover Police wrote: We would like to answer some media questions concerning our earlier statements in reference to the shooting victim, Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford, Jr. of Hueytown. Earlier, we stated that Mr. Bradford ‘brandished; a gun. To clarify, the word ‘brandish’ was used because Mr. Bradford had a gun in his hand as police officers responded to the active shooter situation between mall patrons. We are deeply and sincerely sympathetic to Mr. Bradford’s grieving family and all of those affected by this incident. We all want answers and we believe that with patience and focus, the truth will be firmly established. We want everyone who lives in, works in, works for, or visits Hoover to know that we are a city that puts safety and respect in the highest regard for all citizens. We will be transparent throughout the course of this investigation.”

You can watch videos and see photos from the shooting’s aftermath inside the mall, but be aware that some of them are graphic and disturbing. Some of the videos originated on Snapchat.

One disturbing video shows a body lying on the ground.

The shooting ignited after two men “got into a physical confrontation” near Footaction and the JCPenney store. The gunfire led to a mass panic situation in which people screamed “active shooter,” and hid under clothes, in bathrooms, and in supply lockers.

Capt. Gregg Rector, of the Hoover Police Department, said the man the gunman shot is 18-years-old and in serious condition. The 12-year-old female was also struck by gunfire but was alert and talking. Rector said her condition was not entirely clear, and it was also not clear how she was shot. None of the identities was released early on November 23, 2018.

According to Rector, multiple officers were already working extra duty at the mall because of Black Friday. After the first shooting, said Rector, the gunman fled and was confronted by Hoover officers in uniform who “engaged and shot him,” and he was dead at the scene. Rector did not detail what led to the initial confrontation.

“A Hoover police officer was running to the scene. He heard gunshots. … he actually shot and killed the person who shot and injured the other individual,” said Rector in a news conference held inside the mall. The gunman was armed with a handgun, Rector said, adding, “It’s a big shopping day for us… we also gear up for extra manpower.”

You can watch video from the scene below. “The incident at the Galleria has been brought under control by Hoover PD. Please avoid the mall area at this time,” the City of Hoover wrote in a statement. Television news video from the Galleria showed the heavy law enforcement response:

Hoover is located near Birmingham, Alabama. WBRC-TV reported that a man with the gun was “taken down.” There was a round of gunfire and then a lull of gunfire, said WBRC-TV’s reporter.

One Twitter user claimed this is a Snapchat video of the scene. Be forewarned that it’s graphic.

Other videos circulated:

Terrified people took to social media:

The reports broke out on Twitter with multiple people saying they heard gunfire had erupted inside the mall.

Witnesses described to local television how they hid after seeing people running. “I thought it was a fight because everyone started ducking…we just heard a shooting and that was it,” one person told Fred Davenport for WVTM-TV. Two victims were loaded into an ambulance, Davenport said in his live Facebook report. Another witness told Davenport she heard five shots going off nearby as she walked into Old Navy. “Everybody started running…I hid underneath some clothes,” she said. A young man told Davenport he saw “bodies falling” but he wasn’t sure if those people were shot.

“I was ringing somebody up,” one worker told Davenport. He said there was a stampede of people who ran up saying there was shooting inside the mall. The man then said that he took about 15 people upstairs to safety. A woman had a panic attack and was taken away by ambulance, the worker said. Another man said he saw people running and the doors were locked.

Many people expressed fear on Twitter, with some saying they or others they knew were hiding inside the Galleria. “I serious just had to hid in a bathroom at the Riverchase Galleria. We gotta do better people,” wrote one Twitter user on the evening of November 22, 2018.