Federal officials are investigating an Alabama mall shooting in which a police officer killed a black man he mistook for the gunman.

News outlets report that U.S. Attorney Jay Town issued a statement Friday that the Department of Justice has been reviewing and is continuing to investigate the shooting death of 21-year-old Emantic "EJ" Bradford Jr.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced Tuesday that the officer will not face charges. The state's investigation determined that the police officer in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover was justified in shooting Bradford because Bradford carried a weapon and appeared to pose a threat.

That decision has prompted outrage among activists. The Alabama NAACP says Marshall's decision essentially tells Alabama's black residents their lives don't matter.

The officer mistook Bradford for the person who fired shots moments earlier on Thanksgiving night.