On Thursday, November 22, 2018, Thanksgiving Day in fact, after many families had gorged themselves with Thanksgiving provisions, many people decided to get a head start on holiday Black Friday shopping. In central Alabama, The Riverchase Galleria is one of the go-to shopping destinations for locals. The large mall and hotel complex located in Hoover, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama.

Every year, shoppers crowd the immense mall and its expansive location for the latest deals nor was that Thursday any different. Around 9:30 at night, an argument ensued among the mall’s Patrons and someone pulled out a gun and shot an 18-year-old victim. Patrons heard the gunfire and immediately began fleeing the premise. According to many witnesses on social media, those who were armed helped usher other patrons out of the mall and into safety.

Initial reports claimed that the victims of the Thanksgiving Day Shooting were a 21-year-old male who passed at the scene, and an 18-year-old man and 12-year-old girl who were transported to local hospitals. Hoover Police notified the media later that night that the shooter had been neutralized and there was no longer a threat to the community.

Many on social media praised the actions of the police and thanked them for neutralizing the threat and protecting the community. But the events did not add up.

When officers located within the mall heard gunfire, witnesses stated that they saw officers running towards the location of the shooting with guns drawn. These officers were not present when the first shooting occurred, they arrived only moments later. AL.com reported that officers shot the suspect as he was running from the scene. Police noted that they saw the man brandishing a handgun and opened fire.

Let’s remember what many witnesses on social media reported the night of the incident. Many armed shoppers had been escorting other patrons to safety. Many patrons in the mall were armed and after the shooting, many were “brandishing” firearms to protect from the active threat of the situation. Could the man the police officers shot have also had his firearm out to protect against the active threat?

When AL.com gave updates of the shooting, they said that the man was running from the scene. Let’s reanalyze the situation. The police shot this man in the back as he was fleeing with other patrons. It’s also stated that the 12-year-old girl was injured by stray gunfire. It's not yet clear who shot the little girl, whether it was the original shooter or the child was caught in the police’s crossfire.

On November 23, police released a statement saying that the man initially believed to be the gunman, hadn’t fired a shot during the shooting. The man that was plastered all of the news outlets, even nationwide, was not the shooter. He was simply an innocent patron of the mall who heard gunshots, brandished his weapon for his protection and that of those around him. He fled the scene with other patrons while holding his handgun. When plainclothes police finally arrived at the location of the shooting, they fired at the man with the gun that they saw running from the scene.

Emantic Fitzgerald Bradford Jr. was literally the victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was a officer in the United States Army who had returned home to visit family during Thanksgiving break. Like many, he decided to catch some Black Friday deals. He was the victim of rash judgment, deadly force, and a police department eager to have a “solved” a case. Bradford was license to carry a firearm and in Alabama open carry is legal without a license.

Not only did two people suffer from gunshot wounds, but a third person lost their life. This man was plastered all over the news as a mass shooter when he only succumbed to violence perpetrated by the police. Not only is there still a shooter on the lose, but an innocent man lost his life and reputation in the ordeal. His family deserves justice for his untimely death. His name must not be slandered nor his legacy tarnished.