Man in Custody After Teen Girl Shot at South Shore Plaza

A 15-year-old girl was wounded in a shooting Friday inside South Shore Plaza and a Boston man was arrested and charged in connection with the incident, according to the Braintree Police Department.

Jose Rodriguez, 21, is charged with assault to murder, assault and battery by discharge of firearm, assault and battery on a child with substantial injury, reckless endangerment of a child, carrying firearm without a license, possession of a firearm without FID card, unlawful possession of ammunition, discharge firearm within 500 feet of building and trespassing with a firearm. He was being held without bail pending arraignment via video conference.

The victim was rushed Boston Medical Center via ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to police, crews responded to reports of a shooting between two groups at the South Shore Plaza around 4:45 p.m. Friday. During the incident, a 15-year-old female bystander was shot. Police said the shooting followed an escalating fight between two groups in the mall, and that the victim was not associated with either group. Investigators are working to identify everyone involved in the altercation, and police said additional charges may be filed.

Following the shooting, two suspects reportedly fled on foot from the mall. The men were later found on Granite Street. Both were arrested but the second male suspect was released from police custody.

The shooting incident and manhunt led to a temporary shelter-in-place order for the surrounding area. State and Braintree police blocked access to the mall and asked people to avoid the Granite Street area while they searched for the suspects.

According to reports, by about 7 p.m., most shoppers had been evacuated from the building. Police said officers searched the entire mall to locate any remaining employees or shoppers still hiding. Police said they found six shell casings at the scene. A gun was reportedly found in bushes outside the plaza.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, police from surrounding communities and members of the regional MetroLEC SWAT team were on the scene to assist Braintree police. Witnesses described a frightening and chaotic scene.

The South Shore Plaza Mall opened at its normal time on Saturday.