Mall riot in Killeen leads to eight arrests

New video has surfaced of a mall fight Saturday in Killeen that led to eight people facing riot charges, with one of those also facing a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Just before 6:20 p.m. Saturday, off-duty police working security at the Killeen Mall responded to a fight, reportedly involving 30-45 juveniles and adults in the food court. According to a press release from Killeen police, as on-duty police arrived, the crowd began to disperse, but several smaller goups began fighting in other parts of the mall and outside the building.

According to the release, initial reports to police said shots were fired inside the mall, but police were unable to verify those reports. No injuries or property damage was reported in connection with the fights.

According to the Texas penal code, though, a fight including seven or more participants is considered a riot.

In all, four minors and four adults were arrested in connection with the riot, with another facing unlawful carrying of a firearm. Two guns were found inside a car pulled over while leaving the scene, including one that had been reported stolen out of Austin.

Five of those arrested were taken from that vehicle.

Large-scale mall fights became a trend most recently in late December, when a fight at Hulen Mall broke out Dec. 26, the same day similar fights were reported at more than a dozen other malls across the country.

Saturday’s mall brawl in Killeen carried many of the same characteristics as the one at Hulen Mall and recent similar fights across the country: feuding teenagers, food courts, and reports of shots fired, ultimately resulting in few or no injuries.

This story was originally published July 16, 2017 at 8:24 PM with the headline "Mall riot in Killeen leads to eight arrests."