A disturbing video has emerged on Snapchat that appears to show the active shooter who targeted the Westgate Entertainment District shopping center in Glendale, Arizona.
You can watch the video later in this article, but be forewarned that it is very disturbing. Authorities have not yet confirmed the authenticity of the video, which was widely shared on Facebook and Twitter.
The shooter’s mother identified him as Armando Hernandez, 20, of Peoria, Arizona, according to 12News. When the dust cleared, three people were reported wounded, with one in critical condition and the others expected to survive.
Glendale, Arizona, police tweeted on the evening of May 20, “Please stay out of the #Westgate area. Preliminary info from our dispatch is there were at least two persons struck by gunfire and one person is in custody. PIO is enroute to the scene. Media staging for now will be West of the Arena.”
Please stay out of the #Westgate area. Preliminary info from our dispatch is there were at least two persons struck by gunfire and one person is in custody. PIO is enroute to the scene. Media staging for now will be West of the Arena.
Police then provided this update:
“Update: there are no more reports of any active shooting. One suspect is in custody. We are shutting down the Westgate area to ensure everyone is safe. Media staging will be at Cabelas parking lot.”
Here’s what you need to know:
The Video Emerged That Appeared to Show the Shooter
Screengrab/hoodsite.comA man who identified himself as Armando Junior Hernandez posted a video of himself before and during the shooting at the Westgate mall in Glendale, Arizona.
The video, which was posted on Snapchat and then Facebook and Twitter before being removed for violating platform rules, shows a man saying, “I’m gonna be the shooter at Westgate 2020.” He also gives a name.
He then says, “Let’s get this done guys.” He shows weapons in a car.
The video then shows him walking with a gun through a mall and then standing with a gun by a car in the parking lot. “This is society’s fault… f*cking shit. This is society’s bullsh*t,” he says.
A woman who is lying by a car in the parking lot keeps saying, “I had nothing to do with that” in the video.
In one video, he’s seen with a camouflage mask. The woman says, “You’ve already got me dude.”
Police have not confirmed the authenticity of the video. Although it has been removed from Twitter and Facebook, the video can still be viewed elsewhere online. WARNING: The video may be disturbing for some viewers.
A second video showed the chaos at the scene.
Senator Martin Quezada of Arizona tweeted, “I just witnessed an armed terrorist with an AR-15 shoot up Westgate. There are multiple victims.” He also tweeted, “I saw 2 victims with my own eyes. Not sure how many others I saw the shooter. Being told not to say anything else about details ’til I speak to police. I’m ok. Lots of shaken up people.”
Authorities have not confirmed the shooter’s identity, nor said whether anyone is deceased.
A woman posted another video on Twitter that she said was of police searching the mall and wrote, “There is a possible shooting going on at Westgate in Glendale. I’m here at work with a coworker hiding in the back of our studio. If anyone sees anything going on in the news PLEASE let me know! Hoping to get through all of this.”
She wrote, “Update! Police have searched our facility for any suspects. We were told to keep hiding until further notice. Hope everyone at Westgate is safe and okay!”
At least 2 injured at Westgate complex by a shooter w/ some kind of rifle. A suspect is in custody. Witness Juan Lopez describes to me what he saw. #12News
Journalist Zach Crenshaw wrote on Twitter, “Westgate is teeming with law-enforcement right now after at least two people were shot. One suspect in custody. Unclear how many victims total. No word on a motive. Police chopper is still overhead.”
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