Gunman in Alabama mall shooting at large, not dead, police say

The 21-year-old man who was fatally shot by a police officer at an Alabama mall on Thanksgiving night likely was not the gunman who opened fire and injured two holiday shoppers, police said Friday night.

Police identified Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. as the man who was engaged, shot and killed by a police officer after an altercation at Hoover’s Riverchase Galleria near Birmingham, AL.com reported Friday.

{mosads}Police initially said Bradford fired the shots, but investigators now say they believe that the gunman responsible for injuring a 18-year-old male and a 12-year-old female is still at-large. Both victims remain hospitalized. 

“Over the past 20 hours, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigators and crime scene technicians have interviewed numerous individuals and examined several critical evidentiary items,’’ Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said.

“New evidence now suggests that while Mr. Bradford may have been involved in some aspect of the altercation, he likely did not fire the rounds that injured the 18-year-old victim,” he continued. 

Bradford was reportedly seen fleeing the shooting scene while brandishing a handgun before being engaged by the police officer, who was not in uniform, AL.com reported. 

Investigators believe there were more than two individuals involved in the altercation with the injured man. 

“We regret that our initial media release was not totally accurate, but new evidence indicates that it was not,” Rector said. “We remain committed to maintaining the integrity of this investigation, helping determine the facts involved, and assisting ALEA in their efforts.”

The officer who killed Bradford was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, AL.com reported.