Two teens have been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting that happened at a Charles County, Maryland, mall on Sunday afternoon.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office said it all began with an argument between the teens and two adults at the St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf.
During that argument, a Charles County Sheriff’s Office news release said that a 16-year-old boy had a firearm and when one of the men the teenagers were arguing with tried to intervene, the 16-year-old pointed the gun at him and shot the weapon.
The boy missed and struck the window of the storefront. The two teenagers then left the store. No one was hurt in the shooting.
Law enforcement, including Maryland State Police and mall security, helped frightened customers and staff get to safety. Officers also began searching for the teens, who were found hiding behind a dumpster.
According to the sheriff’s office, the 16-year-old is charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault and other charges. The 17-year-old faces weapons charges for being an accomplice, after investigators said they hid the gun underneath the dumpster.
Both teens are being charged as adults.
Detectives are trying to find out how the 16-year-old got a gun. Anyone with information on what happened should call the sheriff’s office at 301-609-6499.
WTOP’s Abigail Constantino contributed to this report.
