Gun discharges at Fayetteville mall, hits teenage girl

[paramedic70002]

http://rdu.news14.com/content/headli...=92690&SecID=2

FAYETTEVILLE -- A teenager was in stable condition Monday after being shot over the weekend when a gun accidentally discharged at a mall, witnesses and authorities said.

Police on Monday identified the victim as Krystal Anderson, 18. She was being treated at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Witnesses say the gun fired when someone accidentally dropped it on the floor at Cross Creek Mall.

Jessica Goodman, 21, of Fayetteville, said she was shopping at the mall when she heard what she thought was a gunshot. Goodman said she then saw a girl and a gun laying on the floor.

Zora Hayes, 16, said the person who dropped the gun attempted to blend into the crowd of shoppers.

Fayetteville police Lt. K. Eaker said authorities had detained a person pending an investigation. No charges had been filed Monday and the person's name had not been released, police said.

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Does anyone believe this load of hooey?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[P95Carry]

- more great publicity for gun owners.

"Dropped on floor" - hmmm - I think we want much for detail than that. "Dropped and fumbled" perhaps?

[purple88yj]

Fayetteville's population is made up of a lot of military families.

It has also been growing with gang activity in the last few years. The age of the victim kind of makes me think that it may have been related.

She may not have been the intended target, but there again, who knows.

[Miggy]

Update

No charges in mall shooting

By Nancy McCleary
Staff writer

Anderson
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No charges will be filed in connection with the shooting of an 18-year-old woman at Cross Creek Mall, Fayetteville police said Wednesday.

Krystal Anderson of Carolina Lakes declined to file charges, said Jamie Smith, a spokeswoman for the Fayetteville Police Department.

“Detectives were able to speak with Krystal today,” Smith said in a news release. “She did not wish to file charges and signed a discontinuation form.”

Anderson was shot about 6 p.m. Sunday when a .380-caliber pistol fell from the jacket pocket of a friend and hit the floor, according to her father, Michael Anderson.

The gun discharged when it hit the floor, hitting Krystal Anderson in the chest, according to reports. She staggered back about 6 feet and collapsed just inside the Journey Kidz store.

Two Army medics rushed to help Anderson when they saw what happened. They said the bullet exited through her shoulder.

The medics said she suffered a sucking chest wound — one that allows air inside the chest and can cause the lungs to collapse.

Anderson was listed in critical condition Wednesday at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Police had declined to release details of the incident until they spoke with Anderson. They interviewed several witnesses and got conflicting stories, police Lt. Alex Thompson said.

Anderson was with two friends when the incident happened, according to police Sgt. Kelly Hart. However, neither will be charged because there is not enough evidence to charge anyone with possessing the gun, she said.

Hart said detectives have the gun and are continuing to look for its owner.

Mall policy forbids anyone but law enforcement officers and security guards to carry firearms

Fayetteville Online

OK, I am confused as hell here.

[Miggy]

And another update:

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- No charges will be filed in a weekend shooting at Cross Creek Mall that wounded a teenager, police said Wednesday.

Krystal Anderson, 18, was shot in the chest Sunday night inside the mall. She is recovering at Cape Fear Valley Hospital.

Her father, Michael Anderson, said her 19-year-old boyfriend was carrying a handgun, and it discharged when it fell out of his pocket and hit the ground.

Fayetteville police investigators were able to speak with Krystal Anderson Wednesday, and she told them she doesn't want to pursue criminal charges in the shooting, police said.

Police said there wasn't enough evidence to charge the boyfriend or anyone else with possessing the gun in the mall, so no charges will be filed in this case.

[ccw9mm]

Witnesses say the gun fired when someone accidentally dropped it on the floor at Cross Creek Mall.

"Accidental" discharge? Not, of course. Negligence, on the part of the fool handling the firearm. Likely, criminal negligence and reckless endangerment.

Zora Hayes, 16, said the person who dropped the gun attempted to blend into the crowd of shoppers.

Even the stupid realize right from wrong. Now, had this person been correctly trained from a young age, this incident would never have occurred.

<sarcastic_sheep_hat> BTW, where were the experts and safety/security weenies, the instant this happened? Couldn't they have stopped this person in time ... </sarcastic_sheep_hat>

[Musketeer]

...and WHY would charges not be pressed for negligence at the least...

[rocky]

I imagine negligence will be charged when they find out who the owner/ carrier of the gun is.

[rstickle]

It sure seems like there was some illegal carry going on here. Isn't the normal required age 21?

Army medics made the save though. If they'd been overseas they probably had a lot of practice, she was in good hands.

[rocky]

Yep, thanks to medics , she probably will survive.

[falcon1]

To our military medics--unarmed heroes and heroines!

[paramedic70002]

It does not speak well for the Fayetteville PD that they are unable to determine the owner of the weapon, when the victim has identified him as her boyfriend. Neither that they are unable to charge him with anything without the victim's permission. Is anyone else as lost as I am on this?

[tegemu]

Nothing "Accidental" about this incident at all. It was certainly a negligently carried firearm, in a jacket pocket such that it could fall out and most likely an illegally carried firearm, I doubt if the perp had a firearms permit. Incidentally, our Medic and Corpsman heroes are now armed (Thank God) but still put themselves in extraordinarily "harm's way" providing treatment under fire.

[Tangle]

I certainly don't condone gun "accidents", but sometimes gun accidents do happen. They happen because people are not perfect 100% of the time. I think we have a tendancy to really "beat up" someone that has had a gun accident. Yet we don't see that same attitude about other accidents not involving guns. E.g. A guy cuts off a finger on a saw he's used safely for 20 years. We don't trash the guy.

It may very well be that he or she reached into the wrong pocket for something, and in the process of trying to remove their hand, the gun fell out.

Or it may be one of pure negligence and recklessness. We don't know yet and we may never know.

I'm wondering why the gun's drop safety allowed it to discharge?

[jowgafist]

I certainly don't condone gun "accidents", but sometimes gun accidents do happen. They happen because people are not perfect 100% of the time. I think we have a tendancy to really "beat up" someone that has had a gun accident. Yet we don't see that same attitude about other accidents not involving guns. E.g. A guy cuts off a finger on a saw he's used safely for 20 years. We don't trash the guy.

It may very well be that he or she reached into the wrong pocket for something, and in the process of trying to remove their hand, the gun fell out.

Or it may be one of pure negligence and recklessness. We don't know yet and we may never know.

I'm wondering why the gun's drop safety allowed it to discharge?

Well put.