Arrest made in Connecticut mall shooting that injured 5: Police
A 19-year-old man has been arrested and identified as the alleged gunman who shot five people at a Connecticut shopping center on Tuesday, police said.
During a news conference Wednesday morning outside the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, where the shooting erupted, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo announced the arrest of Tajuan Washington.
Spagnolo said Washington of Waterbury was captured on security video running out of an exit at the shopping center following the shooting. He has been charged with five counts of first-degree assault and a number of weapons violations, Spagnolo said.
Washington is being held on $2 million bond and is expected to make his first court appearance sometime Wednesday, Spagnolo said.
"We're confident that we have the person responsible for this," Spagnolo said.
Officers responded to the Brass Mill Center around 4:40 p.m. following reports of a "disturbance" and found what Spagnolo described as "a chaotic scene."
"First responding officers found five people that were wounded by gunfire. They weren’t quite sure if there was an active shooter still on scene," Spagnolo said.
He said that after reviewing security video from the mall, police were able to identify the suspect fleeing out an exit of a JCPenney store.
Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said at Wednesday's news conference that three of the five shooting victims were treated and released from hospitals. He said two victims remain hospitalized in stable condition.
"The most seriously injured was a young lady who was hit in the spine, but she does not have some feeling in her extremities and will be doing some rehab," Pernerewski said. "Hopefully, she will not find herself paralyzed."
Spagnolo said Washington was initially identified as a person of interest in the shooting by detectives and taken into police custody Tuesday evening.
The shooting was not a random act of violence, Spagnolo said during a press briefing Tuesday night, adding, "We believe this started as a conflict and it escalated."
Police believe the suspect and victims knew each other. A semi-automatic pistol was used in the shooting, the chief said.
On Wednesday morning, Spagnolo said detectives are still searching for the weapon.
State police and federal agencies assisted in the investigation, including clearing the mall and collecting digital evidence, the chief said.
