Three people were injured during a Black Friday shooting at Westfield Valley Fair Mall. Here is what is known so far.

What started as a crowded night of holiday bargain hunting quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal at one of California’s busiest malls, leaving people sprinting for safety and children crying out for their parents.

Gunfire erupted inside the Westfield Valley Fair shopping center in Santa Clara, California, during Black Friday evening hours, injuring three people and throwing the entire mall into fear and confusion.

The shooting happened around 5:40 p.m. on November 29, 2025. Witnesses described crowds scattering and hiding in stores as officers rushed in. Police later confirmed that the injured were a 16-year-old girl, an adult man, and a woman. All were taken to the hospital, and their injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Investigators believe the violence began with a conflict between the shooter and the male victim. The two female victims were struck unintentionally when shots were fired. The suspect escaped before police arrived, and authorities had not released a description or confirmed whether he had been located at the time the information was reported.

Sergeant Jorge Garibay of the San Jose Police Department explained that the incident was not a random act against the public. He said something happened between the two men involved that led to the gunfire. Officials stressed that this appeared to be an isolated dispute and that the wider community was not in continued danger.

Chaos swept through the mall the moment the shots were heard. One witness said everything instantly dissolved into “complete chaos” as people fled. Many ducked into dressing rooms, back offices, or behind store fixtures, while others ran aimlessly, desperate to get away from the danger.

Daniel Chen, who was inside at the time, described the fear that consumed the crowd. He said the place was packed, and once the panic started, it felt overwhelming. He remembered being terrified as everyone around him screamed, and he and his group stayed with the crowd to avoid accidentally moving toward the shooter.

In another area, 23-year-old Shawn Kulasingham was out shopping with relatives when he heard what he believed was a gunshot. He immediately pulled his father and sister into an Abercrombie and Fitch, where they hid alongside other shoppers behind racks and store fixtures.

Elsewhere in the mall, roughly twenty people were guided into a Bloomingdale’s for shelter. Among them was Bilal Zuberi, who said he and his wife focused on staying calm so that the younger children around them would not panic even more.

He recalled hearing an overhead message informing stores that their doors had been secured and that everyone should remain inside until authorities cleared the area.

About an hour after the shooting, police began moving through the mall, evacuating shoppers and checking each store to confirm there was no remaining danger. The mall had originally been set to remain open until 10 p.m.

After the incident, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan released a statement, and Congressman Ro Khanna extended his support to the community.

Online, comments flooded in expressing shock and heartbreak. Many focused on the trauma experienced by children. One person wrote about hearing “a little boy screaming for his mom,” while another said they broke down as soon as they heard the child’s voice. Someone else added that the sound of kids crying for their parents was devastating and that they were keeping the families in their thoughts.

Others reacted with sadness and frustration, commenting on the sense of vulnerability such events create. One person said the situation was “just sickening” and expressed the feeling that nowhere feels safe anymore. Another shared their sympathy for the people caught in the chaos.

A night meant for celebration and shopping instead left the mall filled with fear and uncertainty. With the shooter still not located and investigators continuing their work, the event has reignited concerns about safety in busy public places, even during seasons typically tied to joy and family outings.

Meanwhile, videos from the scene began spreading online, showing the frantic moments inside the mall and the emotional shock that followed.