A 17-year-old boy was hospitalized Wednesday night after being shot in the face inside the Ocean County Mall in Toms River, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 8:10 p.m., when officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at the mall on Hooper Avenue.
Responding officers found the teenage victim in a common area of the mall with a single gunshot wound to his face. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition.

Investigators say the victim had been sitting in the mall when he was approached by an individual who attempted to initiate a confrontation. As the suspect began to walk away, he turned back and fired multiple shots in the victim’s direction. One of the bullets struck the teen in the face.

The suspect fled the scene in what authorities described as a gray sedan.

The investigation is being led by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, working alongside the Toms River police and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
Authorities said the shooting appears to have been targeted, and there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact investigators as the probe remains active.