A juvenile suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting that left a 17-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the face at the Ocean County Mall in Toms River.

According to Bradley D. Billhimer, the charges stem from the incident that occurred at approximately 8:10 p.m., when officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to the mall on Hooper Avenue for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located the victim suffering from a single gunshot wound to the face. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he is listed in stable condition.

An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, alongside the Toms River Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, revealed that the victim was seated in a common area of the mall when he was approached by an individual attempting to initiate an altercation. As the suspect began to walk away, he turned and fired multiple shots in the victim’s direction, striking him once in the face before fleeing the scene.

Authorities later identified a juvenile as the suspect. The individual has since been taken into custody and is currently being held at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center.

Due to state law, officials have not released additional details regarding the juvenile’s identity.

“This was a senseless act of violence that has no place in our civilized society. This behavior will not be tolerated here in Ocean County,” Billhimer said, commending the coordinated efforts of all agencies involved in bringing the investigation to a swift resolution.