Two arrested in Gardens Mall shooting; person of interest remains unidentified
Two men have been arrested in connection with the Feb. 14 shooting at the Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens that created panic among shoppers and employees and forced an hours-long lockdown as police searched for the shooter.
Kemarcio Antonio Mitchell, 28, of West Palm Beach, and Devon Jamal Graham, 28, of Riviera Beach, each face one count of convicted felon in possession of a firearm, Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief Clinton Shannon said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
A third man has yet to be identified and is considered a person of interest. He was with Graham in the mall that afternoon and was seen wearing a green long-sleeved shirt with a multi-colored design on the front and blue jeans.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. Feb. 14, Mitchell was seen on surveillance video walking down an escalator in the mall’s west end, toward Graham and the third man, who were also riding the escalator to the first floor, Shannon said. Graham and Mitchell knew each other prior to the shooting, and police believe they are affiliated with gangs.
Mitchell approached Graham and the third man “in an aggressive manner and appeared to have a weapon concealed under his shirt,” Shannon said. A man seen wearing a purple hooded sweatshirt, later identified as Graham, was seen on video pulling out a gun and shooting Michell.
Mitchell ran up the escalator, fled outside and left a pistol in the parking lot before running off the mall property, Shannon said. Graham and the unidentified person of interest also fled, but police later found their car in the parking lot with an AK-47, another handgun and illegal drugs packaged to be sold inside.
Police searched the mall for hours the afternoon of the shooing but did not find any of the men or any victims.
One person was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, and four others were evaluated at the mall for stress-related conditions, Shannon said. Shannon did not provide further information about the injuries of the person who was taken to a hospital, but Major Paul Rogers, a police department spokesperson, said the person was not shot.
A few hours after the shooting, Mitchell went to St. Mary’s Medical Center on his own with a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening. Shannon said Mitchell was not cooperating with the investigation while at the hospital. He was arrested two days later.
Rogers said it does not appear that Graham was shot. Shannon announced just after the news conference ended that Graham was arrested Tuesday afternoon in West Palm Beach after a high-speed chase.
Both Graham and Mitchell previously have been convicted of felonies and served prison sentences, Florida Department of Corrections inmate records show. Mitchell was released from prison in December 2023 and Graham was released in October 2021.
Mitchell faces a federal charge and had his first appearance Tuesday morning. Graham is currently facing a state charge, Rogers said. Shannon said at the news conference that additional charges are possible for both men.
Police said they are still seeking the public’s help in identifying the person of interest.
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