Would-be teen robber shot to death

Officer: ‘What’s tragic is that somebody lost their life over tennis shoes.’Shooter had permit to carry, fired after gun was pointed at him, police say.

A 16-year-old Middletown student was shot and killed outside the Dayton Mall while trying to rob a concealed-carry permit holder of his newly purchased athletic shoes, Miami Twp. police Monday.

That permit holder shot the teen, who officers said was also armed with a gun, once.

“All the subjects involved in this were there for an athletic shoe release,” Miami Twp. Police Sgt. Jay Phares said Monday. “The juvenile wasn’t able to get in line in time to get these shoes that were being sold and decided to try to take them from somebody who did get some shoes, with force with a firearm.”

The teen, identified as Jawaad A. Jabbar of Middletown, was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Phares would not release the name of the shooter, who has been questioned but not arrested or charged.

“We’re looking at everybody and everything,” Phares said when asked about criminal charges.

The Miami Twp. police report indicates at least four adult males — ages 66, 48, 42 and 26 — witnessed the shooting. The 26-year-old was also listed as a victim. No other details about that victim were immediately available Monday.

The shooting occurred around 10 a.m. Saturday near the mall’s hhgregg entrance.

The shooter and another adult male came out of the mall and were approached by three male juveniles, including Jabbar.

“When he was threatened with the firearm, he drew his firearm and discharged it into the juvenile,” Phares said. “What’s tragic is that somebody lost their life over tennis shoes.”

The remaining juveniles fled the scene after the shooting; one was caught on the south lot of the mall and the other was arrested in Middletown, according to Phares.

Both juveniles, ages 16 and 17, were being held in the Montgomery County Juvenile Intervention Center on Monday, pending the filing of formal charges, according to Phares. It is unclear what charges, if any, will be filed against the teens.

The shooter and the man with the shooter stayed at the scene, according to Phares.

“They did not know each other,” Phares said of the adults and the teens.

Police seized both the shooter’s gun and the gun that was with the juveniles.

Officers were trying to determine if the teens were watching the shooter prior to approaching him outside the mall.

Derrick Moore, father of one of the arrested teens, said he was confused by his son’s arrest because his son had the money to buy the new athletic shoes that were being released Saturday.

“His mom and me gave him some money to go get them,” Moore said outside of the police department on Monday. He said his son told him that he wanted to go to Dayton to buy the new Air Jordan shoes being released Saturday. “’I’m going to be the first one there.’ That’s just what he told me.”

Moore said his son and the other teen who was arrested drove to Dayton on Friday night to spend the night at his son’s mother’s house before going shopping for the shoes Saturday morning.

It is unclear when Jabbar, whose nickname is “JJ,” came in contact with Moore’s son and the other teen that was arrested.

Moore received a call from a Miami Twp. detective Saturday night. That detective told him that his son had been arrested on a murder charge.

Moore described his son as being a good student and a Middletown football player who has a job and plans to go to college.

“My son got around the wrong guy,” Moore said. “He wasn’t brought up like this; he wasn’t raised in the streets.”

A portion of the mall, which is near where the shooting occurred outside, was shut down temporarily, according to Dave Duebber, the mall’s general manager.

“It is my understanding that the Miami Twp. Police happened to be on scene in that parking lot area at the time,” Duebber said. “That section of the entrance way was cordoned off and closed off until the scene was cleared.”

The Glimcher-owned mall was not shut down because police had the scene under control in a short amount of time.

The mall’s standards of conduct state that the mall and its parking lot are private property. The conduct also states that the mall “reserves the right to prohibit any conduct or activity which it deems, in its sole discretion, violates this policy.” One of the examples stated in the conduct is “carrying or possessing any weapons of any kind, including weapons carried pursuant to a valid license.”

“We have a company-wide policy that concealed carries are not permitted. It’s stated in our standards of conduct, which are located at each of the entrance ways to the building,” Duebber said. “It is my understanding that any of the CCW permit holders are advised to look for these type of standards to make sure that they are not violating any of the standards.”

Police were given mall surveillance footage.

“From what I’ve been hearing through police, all of this took place outside the building,” Duebber said.

He added that security at the mall increases during the holiday shopping season.

“We have off-duty police here because of the holiday season … We just want to let everybody know that the mall is a safe place to be, a safe place to shop. Just be aware of your surroundings,” Duebber said.

He added that shoppers should contact store associates or mall security if they see anything suspicious or makes them uncomfortable.

About the Author