CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A man shot his coworker at La Palmera Mall Monday afternoon, according to Corpus Christi Police. The victim is expected to survive, and police caught the suspected gunman at a gas station 7 miles away.
The shooting took place around 3:30 p.m. Monday. Police say it started as an argument between two P.F. Chang's employees.
"An employee came in, got into a disturbance with another employee, and it quickly escalated into a shooting," CCPD Sr. Officer Travis Pace said. "That suspect then fled the scene and the victim was then transported to a local hospital for treatment for gunshot wounds to the lower extremity and is in serious condition."
Police Chief Mike Markle told 3NEWS that as of 5:30 p.m. Monday the victim was still alive and their vital signs were stable.
Police confirmed they caught and arrested the suspect at the corner of Staples and Leopard streets at around 4:20 p.m.
"They conducted a felony search and took the suspect into custody without incident," Pace said.
Police added that the case is still under investigation.
La Palmera Mall explains why it did not announce the shooting on intercom
La Palmera Mall released the following statement on social media soon after the incident, saying in part:
"This is an isolated incident and not an active shooter situation. The mall is secured and Corpus Christi Police Department is on site as an investigation is underway. Please continue business as usual, although traffic around the center may be impacted for some time."
La Palmera Mall told 3NEWS they did not pull a fire alarm or announce the shooting over the intercom because Corpus Christi Police told them the gunman had left the area, and they did not want to risk people leaving in a panic.
Mall representatives said they will continue to provide more information regarding the situation as it becomes available.
2nd shooting, bank robbery could be connected to P.F. Chang's shooting
Police told 3NEWS there could be more crime scenes connected to the shooting at La Palmera Mall.
CCPD Commander Todd Green told 3NEWS that they believe the suspect in the La Palmera Mall shooting may have been involved in an earlier shooting Monday that happened around 3 p.m. at Brownlee Boulevard and Elizabeth Street.
They are also investigating a bank robbery that occurred right after the P.F. Chang's shooting, and that too might be connected. Police say just 11 minutes after the shooting inside the P.F. Chang's, a gunman entered a nearby bank, showed his weapon and demanded cash from the teller. He then took off.
A police spokesperson said CCPD is still investigating the incidents independently right now and could not confirm whether they were related.
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