A fight that escalated into gunfire at the Augusta Mall on Tuesday ended with a teenager dead and two men in custody, Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley confirmed.

Deputies responded to the mall on Wrightsboro Road around 1:15 p.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls about a shooting. Sheriff Brantley said the incident began as a fistfight between several people before one individual pulled out a firearm and shot another.

"We have one deceased, and the family has been notified," Brantley said during a briefing.

Officials later identified the victim as 17-year-old Devon McClain.

Authorities said six people were involved in the altercation. Two men were quickly taken into custody with the help of mall security and surveillance video, Brantley said. Deputies are still searching for two additional persons of interest.

Two other people sought minor medical attention, though their injuries were unrelated to the shooting, officials said.

Brantley clarified that the initial call went out as an "active shooter," but the incident was not a random attack. 

"It was just a fight that ended up in gunfire," he said.

The shooting happened inside the mall, near an escalator on the lower level.

Law enforcement cleared the mall store by store with the help of SWAT teams from Richmond and Columbia counties. The FBI, ATF, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Richmond County Marshal's Office, Board of Education police, EMS and Augusta Fire Department also responded.

Sheriff Brantley said mall security played "a huge role" in the arrests by quickly providing video footage to investigators.

Deputies have not released the names of the suspects. Brantley said he expects the mall to reopen on Wednesday.

• Georgia
• Crime