Child Shot 17-Year-Old in Face Inside New Jersey Mall

A child has been charged after a 17-year-old boy was shot in the face inside the Ocean County Mall in Toms River, New Jersey, on Wednesday night, March 25, according to authorities.

Officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to the Ocean County Mall on Hooper Avenue at approximately 8:10 p.m. after receiving a report of a shooting, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said.

When officers arrived, they found the teenager suffering from a single gunshot wound to his face. Emergency responders transported the boy to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was listed in stable condition.

Investigators determined the teen had been sitting in a common area of the mall when an individual approached him and attempted to provoke a confrontation.

Authorities said the individual then began to walk away before turning back and firing multiple gunshots toward the victim. One of the bullets struck the teen in the face.

Toms River police told Jersey Shore Online the shooting occurred near the mall’s Applebee’s entrance.

Following the gunfire, the suspect fled the area in what investigators believed to be a gray sedan. Police radio audio later reported by News 12 New Jersey described the suspect as a Black male wearing gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

Authorities initially said the incident appeared to be targeted and there was no known danger to the public.

The investigation, conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, the Toms River Township Police Department, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, later identified a child as the person responsible for the shooting.

The child has been taken into custody and is being held at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center.

Prosecutors said the child has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon.

“Officers and detectives involved in this investigation acted with urgency and professionalism to bring this disturbing incident to a swift resolution. This was a senseless act of violence that has no place in our civilized society. This behavior will not be tolerated here in Ocean County,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release.