18-year-old shot at Ellenton outlet mall parking lot, Manatee sheriff says

Update: One teen has been arrested. Read more here.

An 18-year-old was shot and injured by acquaintances after an argument at Ellenton Premium Outlets on Sunday afternoon, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The shooting prompted stores to go into lockdown with shoppers inside, but it was not an active shooter situation, sheriff’s office spokesman Randy Warren said.

It happened around 2:30 p.m. Sunday near a parking lot at the mall.

The 18-year-old was shopping with a friend when they were approached by three males he knew and they began arguing, the release said.

The teen walked away but was approached by the same group in the parking lot a short time later. They began arguing again when one of the three males pulled out a gun and began shooting.

The 18-year-old ran away but was hit in the leg. He was taken to a hospital and listed in stable condition.

The three males left in a “small black car,” the release said, and are wanted by law enforcement.

“It was a targeted shooting,” Warren told the Bradenton Herald. “For whatever reason, these others guys tracked him down to this location, saw him and took that opportunity to shoot at him. It was over as quickly as it started.”

The sheriff’s release said the victim and other males have “a history of not getting along. An exact motive is still unclear.”

‘People were scared’

Businesses at the mall went into lockdown as law enforcement responded to the shooting. Some stores allowed customers to stay inside, while other customers said they were asked to exit stores or leave the property, according to posts on social media.

Elaine Barrera, 31, of Sarasota was back-to-school shopping in the Adidas Outlet Store with her husband and two children when the shooting happened. Barrera said management told customers they were allowed leave, but encouraged them not to.

“People were scared. They didn’t know what to do. Everyone was running into stores,” Barrera said. “We just did what was recommended and stayed.”

The Adidas store staff brought Barrera’s family and others who stayed into a merchandise room at the back of the store to hide.

Children hid behind racks of clothes, Barrera said, and people squeezed in between boxes.

After some tense waiting, an all clear was sounded.

“Once we got the all clear, everyone just ran,” Barrera said. “We got to our car and left.”

It’s the second shooting at the outlet mall this year. In February, a shooting that started on Interstate 75 ended at the mall parking lot, which is just off the interstate. A Riverview man shot and killed his wife and them himself, authorities said at the time.

If anyone at the mall during the shooting would like to be interviewed for this story, message us on social media or email rballogg@bradenton.com

This story was originally published July 17, 2022 at 4:30 PM.