16-Year-Old Girl Arrested After Shooting At Mall Left A Father And Son Running For Their Lives

On Saturday, a father and son were visiting North Park Mall, in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Then, all of a sudden, shots were overhead, and the aftermath was caught on a recording.

8-year-old Ethan McMillon, the son of Travis McMillon, is seen seemingly shaken up on the cell phone footage. Saturday was supposed to be a great day for Ethan as his father was about to buy his first pair of Jordan sneakers.

“I was scared because I thought they were running around shooting the mall,” the boy stated.

Authorities say that the occurrence happened after a 16-year-old girl, Za’lil D’Chelle Patterson, was accused of trying to steal a drink from a popcorn business. She then pulled out a firearm on the popcorn company owner. The owner retrieved his gun and shot Patterson, hitting her in the leg.

“One of my thought processes were hopefully it wasn’t nobody trying to shoot up the mall like they did these schools and whatnot,” Travis added.

A little after gunshots could be heard, Ethan’s dad pulled him, and hovered over him, inside of the Dillard’s store.

“I covered him up, so if anything were to happen, it would hit me and not him. I would protect him,” the father stated.

Ethan says that this wasn’t the experience that he was searching for while purchasing his first pair of Jordans.

“My dad said that I should’ve just ordered them. After the gunshots, I wish I would have agreed to ordering them,” the 8-year-old said.

Ethan says that his father will always be his hero.

“He’s better than superman,” Travis’ son said.

When the shooting had stopped, Patterson was taken to a medical facility where she was treated for her wounds.

She was later transported to the Madison County Jail where she is being charged as an adult for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The popcorn business owner hasn’t been charged with any offense.