Latest news with #TajuanWashington
Al Bawaba
29-05-2025
- General
- Al Bawaba
Police arrests 19-year-old man over Connecticut mall shooting
May 28 (UPI) -- Police in Connecticut say the 19-year-old suspect who allegedly shot five people at a mall was arrested. Tajuan Washington was identified Wednesday as the suspect behind Tuesday's shooting incident at Brass Mill Center in Waterbury that left five bystanders wounded. Washington was charged with five counts of assault and other weapon violations and was being held on a $2 million bond. "We are very shaken to have this happen here," Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said Tuesday, adding "we're not broken" and that Waterbury is a "strong city and we are very much standing together." Authorities were called to the scene around 4:43 p.m local time after reports of gunfire. They said shooting victims included four women and one man ranging in age from 20 to 26 who were transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. According to reports, three have been released and two are said to be in stable condition. Police officials said the shooting was not a random act of violence and believe it started as a fight between two unidentified men. "Evidence suggests the shooting stemmed from a dispute between individuals known to each other, which escalated into gunfire," Waterbury police officials wrote in a Facebook post. They said Washington allegedly pulled out a gun then fired at the man and four others with him before he fled the scene and officers eventually caught up to him. Waterbury police officials say shoppers "went with their instincts" and sheltered before police arrived on the scene. "They were very cooperative in assisting with law enforcement's efforts to make the scene safe," stated Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo. On Wednesday during a new conference update, Gov. Ned Lemon said the shooting incident was a "terrible tragedy" that "ripples right into the community" and called Waterbury one of Connecticut's "safest cities" with a "full police force." "But I really worry," the two-term Democratic governor said. "This type of crime is just shocking to me." Meanwhile, the mall was reportedly closed Wednesday with a spokesperson saying mall officials were working "in full cooperation" with Waterbury police as they investigated "this unfortunate incident." "There is no ongoing threat to the public and we will open under normal operating hours once cleared by the city," Brass Miller Center added. In addition, Washington was charged with a flurry of other charges including risk of injury to a child, criminal use of a weapon, illegal firearm discharge, first-degree reckless endangerment, carrying a non-permit pistol and illegal possession of weapons in a vehicle.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Ensuring a Safe and Secure Shopping Environment Is Key for Retailers,' NRF Says
A shooting at the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury, Conn. that injured five individuals is the latest incident at a shopping mall involving teenagers. A 19-year-old Waterbury, Conn. resident, Tajuan Washington, turned himself into the Waterbury Police headquarters late Tuesday evening. Police officials said the preliminary investigation indicates this was not a random act of violence. They said evidence suggests that the shooting stemmed from a dispute between individuals known to each other 'which escalated into gunfire.' More from WWD Dick's CEO Lauren Hobart Says Nike Is A 'Very Important' Strategic Partner Following Q1 Results Dick's Sporting Goods Delivers Record Q1 Sales, Maintains Full-year Guidance Sarah Staudinger's Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Essentials for Summer Four females and one male between the ages of 20 and 26, whose names were not released, were injured in the gunfire. Three of the victims were treated and released from the hospital. Two others are still receiving medical care and are in stable condition. Mall safety has been in the news for other reasons. On Saturday, the Woodbridge Center Mall in Woodbridge, N.J., closed early on Saturday, after hundreds of teenagers turned up there after a TikTok meet-up at a nearby carnival reached capacity. Media requests to Woodbridge Center and Spinoso Real Estate Group, which leases and manages the 1.7 million-square-foot complex, were not returned Wednesday. In another incident this month, six minors, who were among the 300 teenagers who turned up on May 19 at the Menlo Park Mall in Edison, N.J., were arrested for disorderly conduct, and another individual was charged with aggravated assault on an officer. Asked about whether such incidents are increasingly becoming a concern, the National Retail Federation's vice president of asset protection and retail operations David Johnston said Wednesday, 'Acts of violence or disorderly behaviors have no place in a retail environment. Retailers continuously train their employees regarding how to respond to various safety-related situations and work with law enforcement and private security partners to ensure a quick and appropriate response. The number-one priority for retailers is ensuring a safe and secure shopping environment for both customers and workers.' Washington has been charged with risk of injury to a child, criminal use of a weapon, five counts of assault in the first degree, illegal discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment in the first degree, carrying a pistol without a permit and illegal possessions of weapons in a motor vehicle. Founded in 1997, Brass Mill Center, which has approximately 95 businesses listed on its site, was closed to the public Wednesday. Aéropostale, Dick's Sporting Goods, Snipes, Finish Line, Burlington and JCPenney are among the retailers. The shopping center was searched and cleared by the Waterbury Police Department in conjunction with the Connecticut State Police. It poses no threat to the public, according to officials. A representative at Brass Mill Center declined to comment, when asked if security was being increased due to Tuesday's incident. A media request to Summit Properties USA was not immediately returned on Wednesday. In late March, a few hundred people descended on the Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx with young-looking shoppers carousing and running through the complex, based on a TikTok video. Representatives at the Mall at Bay Plaza and its owner and developer, Prestige Properties and Development Co., did not acknowledge media requests Wednesday. Best of WWD Janet Jackson's Best Fashion Through the Years [PHOTOS] Aishwarya Rai's Cannes Film Festival Fashion Moments Through the Years: Every Look [PHOTOS] Queen Camilla's Royal Style Throughout King Charles III's Reign [PHOTOS]
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Man charged in Connecticut mall shooting that wounded 5 as lawyer claims self-defense
A 19-year-old man was charged with assault and weapons crimes after he allegedly shot five people at a Connecticut mall during a dispute, authorities said Wednesday. Tajuan Washington, who was free on $20,000 bail on unrelated motor vehicle charges, drove to police headquarters while officers were surveilling him and surrendered following Tuesday's shooting at the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury, city Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said during a news conference. The injuries were not life-threatening, officials said. The shooting shortly after 4:30 p.m. sent mall patrons scrambling for safety. Dozens of law enforcement officers responded and searched the mall for hours. Police identified Washington on security video, seeing him leave the mall and drive away, then surveilled his home, Spagnolo said. Washington was ordered detained on $2 million bond as he was arraigned in court Wednesday on charges including first-degree assault, criminal use of a weapon, illegal discharge of a firearm and risk of injury to children. His lawyer, public defender Justin Chan, said he believed Washington was defending himself and added Washington had been traumatized by losing a relative to gun violence. Chan also said there were no convictions on Washington's record. Lawrence Adler, a lawyer for Washington on the motor vehicle charges that include interfering with police, said Washington denies those allegations and called the case insignificant. He said he did not know much about the mall shooting. 'There's nothing about his past to lead anyone to say this kid's on a path to hurting people,' Adler said. Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr. said three people have been discharged from the hospital and two were still being treated. The person most seriously injured, a woman who was shot in the spine, had regained some feeling in her extremities, and officials were hoping she isn't permanently paralyzed, he said. Washington and a man who was with four young women got into a dispute, and Washington pulled a pistol, Pernerewski said. 'It was in effect two young men who knew each other, had a history and a past,' the mayor said. The city was shaken but not broken, Pernerewski said. 'This is a strong city, and we are very much standing together in times of crisis," he said. "We support and we care for one another.' Spagnolo did not release details of the dispute, saying it was not entirely clear but police had some idea what it was about. Spagnolo said evidence indicated the shooter used a .40-caliber handgun, which had not been found. Police with a search warrant seized two rifles and found ammunition at Washington's home that matched ammunition at the mall, Spagnolo said. Police surveilling Washington's home followed him as he drove to police headquarters to report he had been involved in the dispute, Spagnolo said. It was shocking that a dispute that might have just been a fistfight became a shooting instead, Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said at the news conference. 'Someone pulls out a semiautomatic and shoots seven rounds and badly wounds five people like that — just like that,' Lamont said. Police and witnesses described the chaos of people crying and running, others locking themselves inside areas of the mall, and swarms of police searching for the shooter. Jayvon Turner told WFSB-TV that one of the victims was bleeding heavily. 'It was crazy, and I tried to tell everybody to get out of there," he said. Court records show Washington was accepted into a probation program earlier this year for another set of charges, which have been sealed from public view under the state law for that program, which is generally for first-time offenders. In October, local media reported that Washington was arrested by state police on allegations of driving more than 100 mph (160 kph) on Interstate 84 in Southington. State police said Washington sped away from a trooper who tried to pull him over, and the trooper ended the pursuit for safety reasons. He was later arrested when police traced the speeding car's registration to his home, troopers said. The Brass Mill Center is off Interstate 84 in Waterbury, about 30 miles (about 50 kilometers) southwest of Hartford, the state capital. Spagnolo said police have used the mall for active shooter drills in the past, and that practice helped officers during the response.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
19-year-old man arrested in Connecticut mall shooting that wounded 5 bystanders
May 28 (UPI) -- Police in Connecticut say the 19-year-old suspect who allegedly shot five people at a mall was arrested. Tajuan Washington was identified Wednesday as the suspect behind Tuesday's shooting incident at Brass Mill Center in Waterbury that left five bystanders wounded. Washington was charged with five counts of assault and other weapon violations and was being held on a $2 million bond. "We are very shaken to have this happen here," Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said Tuesday, adding "we're not broken" and that Waterbury is a "strong city and we are very much standing together." Authorities were called to the scene around 4:43 p.m local time after reports of gunfire. They said shooting victims included four women and one man ranging in age from 20 to 26 who were transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. According to reports, three have been released and two are said to be in stable condition. Police officials said the shooting was not a random act of violence and believe it started as a fight between two unidentified men. "Evidence suggests the shooting stemmed from a dispute between individuals known to each other, which escalated into gunfire," Waterbury police officials wrote in a Facebook post. They said Washington allegedly pulled out a gun then fired at the man and four others with him before he fled the scene and officers eventually caught up to him. Waterbury police officials say shoppers "went with their instincts" and sheltered before police arrived on the scene. "They were very cooperative in assisting with law enforcement's efforts to make the scene safe," stated Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo. On Wednesday during a new conference update, Gov. Ned Lemon said the shooting incident was a "terrible tragedy" that "ripples right into the community" and called Waterbury one of Connecticut's "safest cities" with a "full police force." "But I really worry," the two-term Democratic governor said. "This type of crime is just shocking to me." Meanwhile, the mall was reportedly closed Wednesday with a spokesperson saying mall officials were working "in full cooperation" with Waterbury police as they investigated "this unfortunate incident." "There is no ongoing threat to the public and we will open under normal operating hours once cleared by the city," Brass Miller Center added. In addition, Washington was charged with a flurry of other charges including risk of injury to a child, criminal use of a weapon, illegal firearm discharge, first-degree reckless endangerment, carrying a non-permit pistol and illegal possession of weapons in a vehicle.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Connecticut governor on mall mass shooting: ‘This type of crime is shocking'
WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — The Democratic governor of Connecticut and the state Senate GOP are responding to Tuesday afternoon's mass shooting at the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury. Tajuan Washington, a 19-year-old man from Waterbury, turned himself in to police late Tuesday evening, Waterbury Police Chief Paul Spagnolo said during a news conference Wednesday. The suspect was arraigned Wednesday on multiple charges and held on a $2 million bond. 'This type of crime is just shocking to me,' Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said at the news conference. 'We have to do everything we can in the community to make sure we head this off and find out where these sources of friction might be. But I really want to say, on behalf of the people of Waterbury, we're so proud you're here, and don't let these guys scare you. I want you back in this mall.' Watch Wednesday's news conference in the video below. Sen. Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott), Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-Durham), and Sen. Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) issued a joint statement on Wednesday, stating that Connecticut needs stronger laws addressing violent crime. 'As we noted earlier this month after the shooting and stabbing during a funeral service at a Hartford church: We are too soft on violent crime in Connecticut,' the statement said. 'We must support our law enforcement and give them the tools and resources they need.' Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said the five people wounded suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Three people have been released from the hospital. The mayor said a woman who was shot in the spine had regained some feeling in her extremities. The mall remained closed on Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
