Dozens of protesters gathered outside of the Riverchase Galleria Saturday afternoon to protest the officer-involved shooting that happened Thanksgiving night inside the mall.

Carlos Chaverst Jr., president of the Birmingham activist group Justice League, organized the protest. The event was aimed to show unrest after Hoover police shot and killed Emantic “E.J.” Bradford on Thursday night, after believing Bradford was the person who shot and injured an 18-year-old man during an altercation. A 12-year-old girl was also hurt in the gunfire.

Friday night, Hoover police released a statement saying new evidence showed 21-year-old Bradford was likely not the shooter.

Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said preliminary information indicated that two people were involved in a physical altercation that led to a 21-year-old male shooting an 18-year-old male several times. The 18-year-old victim was injured and transported to UAB Hospital. A 12-year-old girl was shot in the back and taken to Children’s of Alabama.

The 21-year-old – now identified as Bradford - was fleeing the shooting scene while brandishing a handgun, was engaged, shot and killed by a uniformed Hoover police officer, according to Rector. “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,’’ Rector said Friday. “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. “

Rector said investigators now believe that more than two individuals were involved in the initial altercation. The information indicates that there is at least one gunman still at-large, who could be responsible for the shooting of the 18-year-old and 12-year-old.

The news of Hoover’s statement Friday night sparked Saturday’s protest.

Before the protest began, Bradford’s aunt Catherine Jewell spoke. She called her nephew a “great guy” who was respectful and polite. She said Bradford was in the Army and was on furlough when he was in Birmingham for Thanksgiving. AL.com has not independently confirmed Bradford’s military status.

“They didn’t have to take him like that,” Jewell said. She said that she and Bradford’s mother found out about the killing on Facebook and that no police officers came to Bradford’s mother’s house.

Jewell said Bradford did have a pistol permit.

Protesters gathered outside of the Macy’s department store at the mall and several people, including Chaverst, Jewell and another woman who claimed to be Bradford’s great-aunt, spoke. Dozens of people and Bradford’s family members then marched through the mall chanting and carrying signs.

“Police lied, and they still lying,” “Not one more time,” and “stop shopping here” were some of the chants protesters repeated. Members of the media were not allowed inside the mall.

Chaverst called Bradford a “soldier,” and said everyone should demand answers from Hoover police about what happened during the Thursday night shooting. He also called for the firing of Rector for “lying” about what happened, said body cam footage should be released, and that the name of the officer who shot Bradford should be publicly named. Chaverst also questioned why the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, who is now the lead agency investigating the case, was not initially brought in to lead the probe.

Chaverst called for protesters to stop shopping at the Galleria as well.