Angelo Little, a 17-year-old from Columbia, Maryland, was shot and killed in the food court of The Mall in Columbia. Police received a call reporting gunfire in the area around 6:10 p.m.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Little deceased from a gunshot wound. Authorities believe that the victim was targeted explicitly during an altercation between two people.
Police determined that the suspect fled the mall following the shooting. Howard County Police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn stated during a news conference, “We don’t believe this is a random incident, and we do believe it was a victim who was targeted.”
Witnesses inside the mall described the frightening experience. One man noted, “That was the odd thing about it.
I heard no commotion, no argument, no nothing.
Teen targeted in Columbia shooting
All I heard was pop — one shot.”
Police worked to evacuate shoppers from the mall in small groups to ensure investigators spoke to all potential witnesses.
The mall was fully cleared by 9:00 p.m.
Llewellyn explained that a previous active shooter situation at the Columbia Mall influenced Howard County’s police response. “Sadly, we had an active shooter incident — which was different from tonight’s incident — a few years ago, which really enabled us to ramp up our training and our coordination with the mall,” she noted. Howard County Police are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information about the suspect or shooting.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the police at 410-313-STOP. Tips can remain anonymous. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
