17-Year-Old Shot In Face At Ocean County Mall, Prosecutor Says

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A 17-year-old is hospitalized after being shot in the face at the Ocean County Mall in Toms River on Wednesday night, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

The teen was not identified. He was listed as stable at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, the prosecutor's office said.

Authorities are still searching for the person who shot him, the prosecutor's office said.

The incident happened shortly after 8 p.m. in the common area of the mall, the prosecutor's office said.

The victim was sitting in the area when he was confronted by a person who tried to start a fight, authorities said.

As that person started to walk away, he turned and fired multiple gunshots toward the victim, with one shot hitting the teenager in the face, the prosecutor's office said.

The shooter then took off in what was believed to be a gray sedan, the prosecutor's office said.

"This appears to be a targeted shooting, and there is no known danger to the public at this time," Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

The Major Crime Unit of the prosecutor's office along with Toms River police and the Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit are investigating.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call Sgt. Denis Mitchell of the prosecutor's office at 732-929-2027, ext. 2746.