by Steven Felschundneff | steven@claremont-courier.com

On Saturday, Montclair Police arrested a 17-year-old Pomona resident in the shooting death of another teen last Thursday at Montclair Place shopping mall.

The 17-year-old is accused of shooting a 15-year-old boy during an alleged altercation in the mall’s northeast parking lot, 5060 E. Montclair Plaza Lane, after a group of youths “exchanged words” inside the mall.

Police received a 911 call at 8:10 p.m. about shots fired at the location. Responding officers discovered the teen suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest. He was transported to a local trauma center where he died, according to Montclair Police Department Sgt. Andrew Graziano.

NBC News 4 photographer Alex Vasquez was at the scene shortly after police arrived and reported that a witness told him it was “a running or rolling gun battle.”

According to Grazaino, the Pomona youth police arrested was the same teen who was treated at an area hospital on Thursday for a stab wound suffered during the altercation. According to a news release, the youth was arrested for murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a gang enhancement. He is also on active Los Angeles County probation for a prior firearm possession case.

The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin identified the shooting victim as Omar Espinoza Rivera of Chino, a student at Diamond Ranch High School in Pomona.

The investigation is ongoing and additional details will be released at a later date, police say.

If anyone has information regarding case please contact detective Garabedian by email at jgarabedian@cityofmontclair.org or call (909) 448-3643, or detective St. John at astjohn@cityofmontclair.org or (909) 448-3645.