A busy Black Friday evening at Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara erupted into chaos when shots were fired, leaving three people injured and sending hundreds of shoppers scrambling for safety. According to the San José Police Department, an adult man, an adult woman, and a 16-year-old girl were rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The shooting, which occurred around 5:35 p.m., disrupted one of the mall’s busiest shopping days of the year.
San José Police Sgt. Jorge Garibay stated that the incident stemmed from a confrontation between two individuals, emphasizing that it was not an attack aimed at unsuspecting shoppers. The two female victims, he added, appeared to be bystanders and had no connection to the dispute. The shooter fled the scene before officers arrived, and no weapon was recovered.
Witness accounts painted a picture of sudden panic. Shawn Kulasingham, 23, who was shopping with family, described hearing a loud pop before a “sea of humans” surged through the mall in terror. “It was a stampede,” he said. “The building was almost shaking.” Acting quickly, he grabbed his sister and father and sheltered inside an Abercrombie & Fitch store. They hid behind racks and cabinets as confusion spread through the store.
Kulasingham and others remained sheltered for roughly 20 minutes before employees guided them out in a single-file line under police direction. The experience left him shaken. “The fear was palpable. This is a really difficult thing to happen during the holiday season,” he said. In the chaos, he left behind a coat he had just purchased. Visiting home for Thanksgiving, he said the shooting—combined with the recent killing of a National Guard member in Washington, D.C.—felt overwhelming.
At Bloomingdale’s, store security ushered at least 20 customers into storage closets for safety, including Bilal Zuberi and his wife. While they did not hear the shots, they experienced the widespread panic and heard an announcement instructing shoppers to stay put as the doors were locked. Zuberi said they avoided discussing the shooting because children were hiding with them. They received the all-clear around 7 p.m., but leaving the mall proved difficult as traffic jammed every exit.
“Thankful for police, first responders, and mall staff who may have been scared themselves but stepped up to guide people to safety,” Zuberi said afterward.
Emergency dispatch recordings captured the confusion in real time. Calls began flooding in at 5:35 p.m., reporting people sheltering in place, bullet casings, and a trail of blood near Macy’s. By 5:55 p.m., dispatchers relayed that two to three victims had been found and that the shooter remained at large. The city later announced at 6:31 p.m. that there was no ongoing active shooter threat.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan expressed his concern in a public statement, offering prayers for the victims and emphasizing that police were working diligently to locate the suspect.
Authorities confirmed that the shooting occurred on the second floor of Macy’s. Photos posted online also showed shattered windows at the adjacent Bowlero bowling alley. Police described the incident as isolated but urged residents to avoid the area as the investigation continued.
What began as a routine holiday shopping outing quickly turned into a frightening and traumatic evening for many, leaving the community shaken and searching for answers.