3 people shot at mall where security was a concern; unclear if shooter held or sought

MONROEVILLE, Pa. – Three people were shot at a shopping center on Saturday night and were taken to a hospital, and the mall and the hospital's emergency room were placed on lockdown.

It was unclear whether the shooter was captured or had escaped, said Monroeville Mayor Gregory Erosenko, who had only sketchy details shortly after the 7:45 p.m. shooting. He said his police chief was at the scene.

The three victims were taken to Forbes Hospital with gunshot wounds, hospital spokesman Jesse Miller said. One was in stable condition, he said, and he couldn't release the conditions of the other two.

Detectives told the hospital to lock down its emergency room until they were certain the shooter had been captured, Miller said.

Pennsylvania native and ex-NFL quarterback Terrelle Pryor tweeted that he was at the Monroeville Mall, a short drive east of Pittsburgh.

"Damn was just in monroeville mall and just saw 2 ppl get shot," he tweeted. "They are letting guns go in there."

In late December, hundreds of teenagers gathered at the mall and several fights broke out. The fights caused local officials and mall administration to agree on a plan to increase security there.

Weapons are banned at the mall, whose code of conduct specifically prohibits "Carrying or displaying weapons of any kind except those carried by certified law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties."