Valley Fair to Valley Fear
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
By Mahika Khosla Feb 14, 2026
On Nov. 28, 2025 at around 5p.m., a 17-year-old pulled out a firearm in Westfield Valley Fair shopping mall and shot at the chest of a man wearing a hat with the letter “m”—a symbol of the Sureno criminal street gang, and a rival to the teenager’s gang. As the shooting ensued, two women were injured and the entirety of the mall’s Black Friday crowd desperately evacuated. The charges for the suspect and his three accomplices are yet to be decided as legal processes are still ongoing.
The 17-year-old, a student at James Lick High School in SanJose, was previously charged with having a concealed gun inFebruary 2025, yet he avoided a criminal conviction through a deferred judgment. Furthermore, the violence was assisted by his21-year-old brother Christian JoelDuran, his brother’s girlfriend Allana Nevaeh Murillo and another gang member Evan John Moniz. Duran and Murillo, too, have faced charges on Aug. 7, 2023 in a gang-related fight at James LickHigh School.
“During the shooting, the officers provided minimal explanations regarding the situation. Only after did I access social media and find out that the shooting was gang-related. Videos and their comments helped me contextualize the danger in our city that I was not aware of before,”Freshman Rishav Paul said.
Two days after the incident, detectives and officers from theSanta Clara County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Clara Police, the FBI and the California Highway Patrol tracked down and arrested the suspect in his home in San Jose. A day later, the gang-affiliated victim and the two women were discharged from the hospital. As of January 2026, the authorities have yet to recover the weapon. Furthermore, San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph stated in a press conference on Dec. 1, 2025 that the teenager probably did not know who his target was personally beyond the fact that he belonged to a rival gang based on his hat.
The three accomplices have pleaded not guilty to aiding the shooter and were released from jail on Dec. 3, 2025. Moniz andMurillo paid a $100,000 and$250,000 bail, respectively, while the suspect’s older brother Duranis currently under home detention. The three adults’ preliminary examination of their charges was postponed on Dec. 15, 2025 due to a lead San Jose police detective becoming unavailable for personal reasons. The teenager, charged with attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, returned to court on Feb. 3. While he is supposed to be tested in a juvenile court, figures like the Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen are advocating for a trial in an adult court because of the recklessness of his actions and the danger they possessed towards others. Today, the judge has yet to confirm whether the teenager will be sent to an adult court, which may result in him receiving a lengthier prison sentence.
“The incident made me think differently about safety in our community; I have never thought that something could happen at such a familiar location. However, after we went into the lockdown, the police closed down the area quickly, which slightly boosted my perception of how the shooting was handled,” Freshman Ayaan Gupta said.
Senior Remy Steinert similarly experienced the incident firsthand at Valley Fair.
“The mall employees were very responsible. The store I workin took all guests who were in or near the store at that time. Other managers opened their stores’ back storage spaces for shoppers to hide in,” Steinert said.
According to Kron4 News, SanJose City Mayor Matt Mahan and the City Council publicly honored residents who rolled up their garage doors for shoppers searching for safe locations. Through the event, Mahan emphasized the importance of doubling down on investments in city-run youth job programs such as the San JoseEmpowerment Alliance, which would target teens who may be considered easily influenced or recruited by gangs.
Today, youth crime is accompanied by alarming trends of increasing gang involvement and firearm usage. To create secure and supportive environments, communities must collaborate to craft comprehensive solutions towards reducing juven
ile violence.
About the Contributors
Mahika Khosla
Staff Writer
Mahika Khosla is a senior at Leland High School and a Staff Writer for The Charger Account. Some of her favorite activities are watching Shark Tank, visiting National Parks, and rooting for the Warriors.
Isabella Zhu
Artist & Page Editor
Isabella Zhu is a sophomore at Leland High School and the Viewpoint page editor for The Charger Account. She enjoys reading books and browsing Netflix in her free time.
