Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – The Palm Beach Gardens police held a press conference on Tuesday to provide updates on the Valentine’s Day shooting at The Gardens Mall. However, in a surprising turn of events, the suspected shooter, Devon Jamal Graham, was arrested in West Palm Beach at the same time as the press conference.
According to the police, Graham, a 28-year-old from Riviera Beach, was apprehended around 2:50 p.m. on Tuesday. He is accused of shooting a man on the escalator near P.F. Chang’s at the mall on February 14. At the press conference, Police Chief Clinton Shannon revealed that Graham and the victim, Kemarcio Antonio Mitchell, were affiliated with gangs and had a history of knowing each other.
Shannon also announced that Mitchell, who was armed during the shooting, had already been arrested on Friday, February 16. He was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound at St. Mary’s Medical Center before being taken into custody. The police revealed that Mitchell was found discarding a pistol in the parking lot before fleeing the scene.
The community was reassured by Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Chelsea Reed during the press conference that their safety was a top priority for the city. Both Graham and Mitchell have extensive criminal histories, with Graham having 30 felony charges, six convictions, and one incarceration since 2011, and Mitchell having 35 felony charges, 10 convictions, and two incarcerations since 2009.
Surveillance footage from the mall showed the events leading up to the shooting, and it was reported that the police were still searching for a third person in connection with the incident. The shooting, which occurred on Valentine’s Day, sent shockwaves through the mall, prompting an evacuation and temporary closure.
The Gardens Mall reopened the following day, with heightened security measures in place. Additionally, police revealed that they had discovered an AK-47 assault rifle, a handgun, and various illicit substances in the vehicle that Graham and the other suspect arrived in.
The incident at The Gardens Mall generated a significant amount of attention and concern from the local community. It had seen minimal incidents of gun violence in the past, with the most recent incident occurring in 2017. This shooting incident also coincided with the sixth anniversary of the Parkland shooting in Broward County, adding to the sense of urgency in addressing gun violence in the region.