At least three people were wounded during a shooting that took place at an Upstate, South Carolina shopping mall on Friday afternoon (May 2, 2025).
The shooting occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. EDT at WestGate Mall – a shopping center located next to Interstate 26, approximately three miles west of downtown Spartanburg, S.C.
The aftermath of the incident – including shattered glass, bullet casings and bloody floors – was captured on camera by Upstate small businessman Joe Marzouca.
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Meanwhile, an especially colorful account of the incident was provided on social media by Spartanburg resident Janelle Boston, who was arriving at the mall just as the melee was beginning.
“That motherf*cker had a big ass gun,” Boston said on a Facebook live post, referring to a gunman involved in the incident. “He came out (of) the mall still shooting.”
Boston said she witnessed the gunman – whom she described as a black male in his late teens or early twenties – reenter the mall and return with his firearm concealed in a bag. The gunman then handed the bag to another individual, according to Boston.
“The f*cking shooter done went inside the mall, got a bag and came back out – gave the gun to someone else,” she said.
According to Spartanburg Police Department (SPD), two groups were involved in an altercation prior to the shooting. They entered the mall near the food court when “someone from one of the groups started shooting.”
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Three people were hospitalized in the aftermath of the shooting with non-life-threatening injuries. Two individuals were detained by police.
Deputies with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) assisted SPD in responding to the incident – and in apprehending the two suspects.
WestGate mall opened in 1975. After its previous owners declared bankruptcy, the 954,302-square foot facility was purchased last year by New York-based Namdar Realty Group.
This is a developing story… please check back for updates.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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