A shooting at the Westfield Valley Fair mall on Nov. 28 left Black Friday shoppers running for their lives. The shooting impacted students at San Jose City College, which is located just over a mile from the mall.

The San Jose Police Department gave some details in a press conference after the suspect’s arrest on Dec. 1. They believe that the motive was gang-related, and while three people were injured, nobody died. The suspect was a minor who was on probation at the time of the shooting, so his personal information is not public.

Jimena Moya, a 21-year-old studying car design, was out of town when the shooting occurred, but she still had thoughts on its impact on shoppers. 

“I think it’s really terrifying … especially during Black Friday,” Moya said. “Like, you’re shopping for family and the next thing you know, your life is on the line.”

Rebeca Ivanev, a 19-year-old business accounting major, knew two people who were at Valley Fair when the shooting occurred.

“I wasn’t scared at the moment, because I didn’t know it happened until after it happened,” Ivanev said. “I think … once I knew they were there, I was just happy that they were safe.”

Charlie Evans, an 18-year-old majoring in early childhood education, also had friends who were at the mall that day. One left shortly before the shooting, but the other was caught up in the chaos.

Evans had thoughts on gun control, as well as the implications of the suspect being a minor.

“We need to get stricter about our guns, especially since seeing that they caught the person,” she said. “… Seeing that a minor was able to have a gun on them was pretty scary to think.”

She reflected on the scenes in videos posted to social media, and how she would feel if her relatives were in that situation.

“It was honestly very heartbreaking to see the videos of people screaming, people getting trampled over,” Evans said. “It’s scary to think that that could have been me. That could have been my mom, that could have been my grandma.”