A man was shot in the parking lot of a Costa Mesa shopping mall during an attempted robbery on Sunday night, Sept. 22, police said.
Officers responded around 8:40 p.m. to a reported shooting in the 3300 block of Bristol Street, where they found a man who had been shot in the parking lot, said Roxi Fyad, a spokesperson for the Costa Mesa Police Department.
Crews from Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue arrived near the Bloomingdale’s at South Coast Plaza and transported the man, who was believed to be in his 30s, to a hospital for treatment of a nonfatal gunshot wound, said Battalion Chief Chris Coates.
A male suspect approached the man in the parking lot and shot him in the leg while attempting to rob him, police said. The suspect fled before officers arrived. It was believed the victim was leaving a restaurant, police said.
The investigation is ongoing. Police believe the shooting was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.
A request for comment was placed with South Coast Plaza about the shooting.
A post on social media indicated the shooting report drew a large response from emergency responders to the high-end retail destination just north of the 405 Freeway.
This is at least the third crime involving gunshots and an attempted robbery this year at a high-end retail destination in Orange County.
On July 2, a woman visiting from New Zealand was killed during an attempted armed robbery at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. Three suspects are accused in the attempted robbery in which the victim was dragged by their getaway car and a suspect fired from that car, though no one was struck by the gunfire.
Then on Aug. 26,  at least one shot was fired at Fashion Island as two men, one driving a Rolls Royce and the other a Ferrari, were targeted by robbers. Police said one of the victims suffered an injury to his ear, possibly from shattered glass from a gunshot at a vehicle.
