Update: The stabbing was unprovoked, police say. Both teens are in stable condition.
Original story:
Two teens were stabbed outside a movie theater at the South Bay Galleria on Saturday night, prompting police to block off the entrances and exits to the mall in search of a suspect, according to Redondo Beach police Sgt. Shawn Freeman.
According to Freeman, witnesses reported seeing a boy and a girl suddenly collapse just outside the AMC ticket lobby shortly after 7:20 p.m. Upon further investigation, it was found that the two minors had been stabbed.
Paramedics were called to the mall, and the two victims were transported to the hospital. Freeman said that the boy and girl are currently in surgery. Their conditions were not known as of 11:45 p.m.
There were no witnesses to the actual stabbing, and bystanders only saw the two victims fall to the ground, Freeman said. The person suspected of stabbing the pair was described simply as a "black male."
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Following the stabbing, officers from the Redondo Beach, Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach police departments searched the trunks and interiors of vehicles as they pulled out of the mall's parking structure, according to Redondo Beach police Sgt. Mike Martinez.
Officers were looking for the suspect or possible signs of a struggle, he said.
While police did establish a perimeter, the mall was never evacuated or placed on lockdown, Freeman said.
"What we did is contain the mall," said Freeman. "We were hoping to find evidence or some witnesses."
Police said they will also review security camera footage from the movie theater, mall and nearby stores to see if they can identify a suspect or discover further information about the incident.
Anyone with information on the stabbings is being asked to contact the Redondo Beach Police Department's tip line at 310-937-6685. People can also text their information to 310-339-2362 or email crimetips@redondo.org.
