A long-standing argument sparked a shooting at a North Carolina shopping mall, leaving one person dead on Christmas Eve.

Daquan Antonio Westbrook, 18, was shot and killed by a police officer after reportedly exchanging fire with another person at Northlake Mall in Charlotte.

Witnesses nearby quickly ran for cover, as chaos erupted when gunshots were heard. The off-duty cop, identified as Thomas Ferguson, confronted Westbrook, who allegedly pointed his weapon in the officer’s direction.

It is not immediately clear if Westbrook fired at the police officer. Officer Ferguson shot the teen, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

From NBC:

The Mecklenburg Emergency Medical Services Agency said it treated one patient with a leg injury, one patient with an asthma attack and one patient in labor. Novant Health Medical Center in Huntersville told NBC News it treated four people who walked in with injuries related to the incident. It would give no further details.

Police Chief Kerr Putney said that the shooting was an isolated incident and that there was never an “active shooter” threat to the general public. There was no evidence that the argument leading up to it was gang-related, he said.

“This is not a random act of violence,” he said. “Two parties were beefing back and forth, and it happened to happen at Northlake Mall.”

The officer involved has since been placed on administrative leave.

SOURCE: NBC News | VIDEO/PHOTO CREDIT: Inform, Getty

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Teen Fatally Shot By Off-Duty Officer During Confrontation In North Carolina Mall was originally published on globalgrind.com

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