A fight between youths in a crowded shopping mall that led to a shooting involving an off-duty federal agent stemmed from an altercation at a high school, police said Monday.
The Secret Service agent, whose name was not released, and 18-year-old Javaughn Norman Adams were in stable condition Monday at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.
Adams, 18, faces multiple felony charges when he is released from the hospital, Anne Arundel County police Officer Sara Schriver said in an e-mail. Adams was wounded Saturday night at Westfield Annapolis mall in shootout with the agent.
A third person, identified by police as 16-year-old Tahzay Brown, also was wounded but was released after treatment.
Police said detectives had determined that Adams and another person were confronted at the mall by Brown and several of his associates, and that Brown's associates started a fight with the person who was with Adams. Brown told police that he and his friends had been assaulted by Adams and his associate at Annapolis High School in September, authorities said.
The agent, who was at the mall with his family, saw the fight and tried to stop it.
Adams allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot the agent in the leg as shoppers ran for cover. The agent then drew his service weapon, shouted that he was a police officer and fired back, police said. Adams was shot twice in the upper body.
Special Agent Kim Bruce, a Secret Service spokeswoman in Washington, said Monday that agency policy is not to identify the agent. She said the agent, whom she described only as a veteran agent, appeared to have acted properly.
Seven students at the high school were arrested Friday after two fights, and in September police arrested 18 students after four fights broke out over two days.
Anne Arundel County school officials planned discussions Monday on increasing security measures when students return from Thanksgiving break.
