Breaking News: MSJ students shaken by Westfield Valley Fair shooting on Black Friday

By Staff Writers Aarav Vashisht & Andy Zhang

San Jose Police Department officials mandated shoppers across the Westfield Valley Fair mall to evacuate on Friday, November 28 at 7 p.m., following a conflict that had erupted outside Macy’s. Tragically, three individuals suffered non-fatal gunshot wounds and were summarily rushed to the hospital. Details regarding the situation remain exiguous, though preliminary information from the police department indicates that the shooting allegedly arose due to a verbal altercation between two individuals, not an active threat. After the incident, the shooter is suspected of having fled the scene, and as of time of publication, no weapon has been recovered. According to eyewitnesses, the first shot was fired at around 5:35 p.m., leading to commotion among bystanders.

Amid the chaos, thousands of Black Friday shoppers, several of whom were MSJ students, sought shelter wherever possible, including behind clothing racks or inside storage closets. Many choose to flee the premises entirely, bolting towards their vehicles. “The atmosphere was tense [as] everyone was running around [and] people getting in their cars, but nobody could move because it was such bad traffic, especially with [it being] Black Friday,” MSJ Junior Meera Anand said. At around 7 p.m., police declared the area secure and began escorting people outside. Members of the MSJ community present at the scene have expressed their initial shock regarding the abruptness of the chaos and emphasized the everyday reality of the situation. “I think [people] should understand that … we usually just take [shootings] as something far away, but … it can happen to anyone, anywhere, and we’re lucky that no one [was] killed,” MSJ Junior Adrit Das said.