Authorities late Thursday arrested five suspects who led officers on a brief pursuit after committing a robbery in which shots were fired outside a Target store in Fremont, according to police.
Officers responded around 11:38 p.m. to the Target at the Fremont Hub after people reported hearing shots being fired, police said.
Police learned that multiple suspects became entangled in an altercation with security guards in front of the Target. The suspects had been confronted about stealing items, including video games, police said.
A car connected with the suspects drove up and one of the suspects fired shots into the air, according to police.
The suspects hopped in the car and fled, police said. A pursuit followed, but it only lasted about three minutes and came to an end near Central Avenue and Cedar Boulevard in Newark.
One of the suspects ditched the car on foot, but they were eventually captured, police said. Four other suspects in the car were also taken into custody. At least one of the suspects is 17 years old. The others are said to be 18 to 19 years old.
Authorities found a loaded gun and stolen items from the store in the car, according to police.
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No injuries were reported, according to police.
Target on Friday released the following statement regarding the incident:
At Target, the safety of our guests and team members is our top priority. Last night, our security team was attempting to apprehend a shoplifter outside the Fremont Hub Target store when a vehicle pulled up outside, another individual in the vehicle fired several shots into the air and the shoplifter entered the vehicle and drove away. No Target team members or guests were injured. We immediately called law enforcement, closed the store for the rest of the evening and have provided the Fremont Police Department with video footage to help with their investigation. We reopened the Fremont store at the scheduled time this morning and appreciate the support of the Fremont Police Department.
