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Tag: mall shooting

  • Brianna Benlolo: Loved Ones Remember Mall Shooting Victim

    Among the three people killed on Saturday in a mall shooting in Columbia, Md., was 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo from College Park.

    The shooting that took place that day was a shock for shoppers who were present during the incident.

    However, it was the most disturbing for family and friends of Benlolo who were informed of the devastating news.

    Growing up in a military family, Benlolo moved often and resided in other states like Colorado before making her way to Maryland in 2010.

    Many remembered her as a hardworking “super mom” dedicated to providing for her 2-year-old son.

    Friends like Kaela Bugg described her as “an amazing person…. [who] had such a good head on her shoulders,” The Baltimore Sun reported.

    Her male friend, Abhishek Rishi, is still in disbelief that Benlolo was one of the victims that day. He immediately posted a Facebook status after hearing that the shooting took place at Zumiez skate store where his friend worked.

    “She never said anything bad about anybody” Rishi said. “She was just one of those people you wanted to be around. She was just genuinely happy.

    Benlolo was an assistant working manager at the skate store. According to how family and friends described her, she took pride in her work.

    “She was all excited because she was the manager there,” said her grandfather John Feins who also shared custody of Benlolo.

    Feins implied the disgust he felt towards his granddaughter’s senseless death, especially since some “idiot” took her life while she was attending to her usual day job.

    The other victim was identified as Benlolo’s co-worker, 25-year-old Tyler Johnson. Friends described him as a quiet but fun skater boy.

    It’s unclear what the motive behind the shooting was, but investigators say that it may be related to a domestic dispute.

    The gunman, who has been confirmed as 19-year-old Darion Aguilar, was said to not have any criminal history or signs of violence according to family.

    He took his own life following the fatal shooting.

    Benlolo and Johnson’s memorial page has reached over 6,000 likes since Saturday. A separate  Facebook page was also made over the weekend in memory of the young mother.

    Image via Facebook

  • Maryland Mall Shooting Leaves 3 Dead

    After a 911 call was received at 11:15 a.m. reporting that shots had been fired at the Colombia Mall, consisting of about 200 stores, just north of Washington, D.C., police said officers responded quickly.

    “We had officers quickly get into the area and we were able to identify three victims at an upper level store in the Columbia Mall, one of those victims appears to be the shooter,” Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon told reporters.

    “We are very confident that it was a single shooter and there are no other shooters in the mall,” he said.

    Authorities have confirmed that three people have been killed and both police and fire departments were on the scene.

    “Three victims were found in an upper-level store,” McMahon said. “One appears to be the shooter. ” A gun and ammunition were found near that person’s body, he said, but could not say if the suspect was a man or a woman.

    The officers reported that after the initial gunfire, no other shots had been heard, “We don’t think there are any more shooters in or around the mall,” the police chief said. “Many, many people are still in the mall, securing themselves and sheltering in place.” He said police officers did not appear to have fired any shots.

    “So right now we still have many, many people still in the mall who have secured themselves inside stores,” he said.

    Howard County police were going from store to store, interviewing people who had seen the shooting and allowing others to leave, McMahon sad.

    One witness who was interviewed described the scene as chaotic: “I heard the shots and it was just a stampede…There were people running everywhere,” said Antone Bishop, 19, who was shopping with his friend, Jared Malcolm at the Finish Line, a shoe store. “People were running out the of store…people didn’t know what to do. People were crying. Everyone was just in a panic.”

    There was heavy police presence at the mall after the shooting, while people were released after the lockdown.

    Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said police would be holding a second news conference later this afternoon.

    It is happening more and more frequently, shootings at movie theaters, schools, universities, fast food joints, and malls.

    A new report due to be released in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) bulletin next week, finds that mass shootings have definitely become more common. They have spiked from five a year between 2000 and 2008 to 16 a year from 2009 to 2012.

    The report indicates that the most common gender committing these mass shootings are the male gender, they vary in age but they encompass 94 percent of these violent shootings.

    The shootings were averaged between businesses, which see 40 percent, schools at 29 percent, while 59 percent the gunmen use handguns, rifles are used 26 percent of the time.

    Image via YouTube

  • Mall in Columbia Lockdown: Three Dead Including Shooter

    Three people have been confirmed dead after a shooting took place on Saturday at a mall in Columbia, Md., resorting police officials to order a lockdown.

    Authorities initially started responding to 911 calls around 11:15 a.m. It wasn’t until 12:30 p.m. that police officers decided to confine the premises.

    Upon arrival, officers immediately escorted customers located near the food court outside.

    Others were directed towards the AMC theatre to move away from the scene of the shooting.

    According to one anonymous witness, the shooting is believed to have taken place on the upper level near Sear’s, which is next to the food court.

    However, Howard County Police have confirmed that it took place at a skate store called Zumiez.

    One mall employee shared with the Washington Post that she was unaware of the guns shots until she heard people screaming that someone had a gun.

    “I think this country is in a lot if trouble,” said Laura McKindles.“I mean, what possesses someone to, on a Saturday afternoon, in this cold, to come to a mall and shoot people? Why? I just can’t understand what motivates that.”

    Ambulances were said to be located near the entrance of J.C. Penney assisting freezing customers into warm vehicles and those without coats with blankets.

    Investigators scouted the parking lots, looking through car trunks for any possible evidence.

    The Washington Post’s live update blog reported at 2:12 p.m. that there are still no motives as to why the shooting took place. However, investigators are sure that there was only a single shooter.

    Until further information comes forward, the Columbia Mall will be closed until Saturday night, according to a twitter post by the Howard County Police Department.

    Besides three fatalities, two victims were sent to the hospital for minor injuries unrelated to the shooting. One other victim is being treated for a gunshot to the foot.

    Police discovered one of the deceased located near ammunition. The shooter is believed to be one of the people found dead.

    The next media briefing is scheduled for 4 p.m.

    Image via Youtube

  • Short Hills Mall Shooting Tragedy

    For a young New Jersey couple, owning an expensive vehicle cost them more than a pricey car payment. It cost one of them their life.

    Dustin Friedland, a 30-year-old lawyer from Hoboken, was walking with his wife to their SUV after a Sunday of holiday shopping at The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey. The couple was accosted by two suspects who were allegedly attempting to carjack the 2012 Range Rover. The carjacking turned fatal when bullets were fired and Friedland was found shot in the head – likely trying to protect his wife from the shooters. She was not injured, while her husband was later pronounced dead at a local hospital in Morristown.

    The silver SUV was found later in Newark with the only sign of its horrific involvement being a shattered rear window.

    The Crime Stoppers program in Essex County is offering a $10,000 reward for any information pertaining to the carjacking that leads to an arrest and conviction of the alleged gunmen.

     

    With this frightening tragedy coming less than two months after the shooting rampage that left gunman Richard Shoop dead in nearby Garden State Plaza, one has to wonder if they should avoid all New Jersey malls. Or is it that these malls are convenient large gatherings of people, as well as prime picking for those targeting the wealthy.

    In a world of senseless violence and constant crime sprees, is it safe to set foot out of your own front door? Fate has a twisted sense of humor when the fast-fading chivalrous gesture of a man opening a car door for his wife ultimately ends with him being fatally shot.

    That’s one car payment with a price too steep for anyone to pay.

    Image via Facebook/Jamie Schare Friedland

  • Short Hills Mall Shooting – Lawyer Shot To Death

    Sunday evening ended up being a horror film for a husband and wife from Hoboken, New Jersey. Dustin and his wife Jamie Schare Friedland, both graduates of Syracuse University’s law program, were shopping at Short Hills Mall.

    The attack happened while they were in the parking garage getting ready to leave. Dustin had opened the passenger door of their 2012 silver Range Rover for his wife, and walked around to the driver’s side when 2 assailants asked for his keys. Apparently he refused according to witnesses who spoke with the Daily News.

    When Dustin resisted, four shots were fired, one of which mortally wounded him, police said.

    Jamie Friedland commented later that one of the criminals came to her side of the car, demanding she get out. She got a really good look at him.

    Dustin Freidland died in the hospital, with his wife at his side just a few hours later. Heartbroken relatives described Freidland as a calm and sensible man who would walk away from violence if possible.

    Mall general manager Michael McAvinue said in an email Monday: “We were shocked and saddened by the incident that took place last night at Short Hills. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families involved. Our shopping center is working closely with local law enforcement to support their efforts with this tragic incident.”

    Law agencies created a multi-agency task force due to the rise in crime in Essex County and surrounding area. Its borders are close to the high-crime area of Newark, and carjacking’s have risen dramatically in the past few years. Nearly 300 carjacking’s were reported through July 31 of this year, according to the county prosecutor’s office. In August, authorities announced a program that uses billboards to display mug shots of convicted carjackers next to the number of years they are serving in federal prison.

    Investigators suspect the Friedlands were targeted by members of a carjacking ring who were after his Range Rover SUV. It is valued at approximately $70,000.

    That stolen vehicle was recovered Monday morning in Newark, abandoned. Police hope the evidence found in the vehicle will lead them to the killers, and soon.

    Image via YouTube

  • Kenya Hostage Situation Still Unresolved

    On Saturday, al-Shabaab, and Islamic terrorist group from Somalia, seized control of a Kenyan shopping mall. Reports state that the goal of the attack was to target non-Muslims. Early reports stated that 39 people were killed in the attack, including several Americans.

    The Kenyan government has been working around the clock since Saturday to take control of the situation and to save any hostages that are still within the building. Early reports on Sunday stated that “most” hostages have been saved from the mall. When questioned about specific numbers of hostages who have been rescued versus how many remain in the mall, however, Kenyan officials cannot provide any answers: “We are yet to get confirmation from what’s happening in the building,” stated Col. Cyrus Oguna, a Kenyan military spokesman.

    Despite warnings that al-Shabaab would “take punitive action against the hostages” if force was used to try to rescue them, the Kenyan military launched a full-force military assault against the terrorists at sundown on Sunday. This morning at daybreak, several helicopters circled the roof of the building and were met by gunfire, indicating that there were still gunmen on the loose and that the situation was not quite yet under control.

    Kenyan officials have stated that they will try to save all hostages to the best of their abilities, yet their transparency concerning how many hostages have and have not been saved still remains unclear. Official reports that “most” hostages have been saved have not been corroborated by any evidence. In fact, there is good evidence to the opposite. A person with intimate knowledge of the rescue operations, who asked to remain anonymous, told AP reporters that no hostages had been removed from the building yet. The Red Cross has also reported that no hostages have been brought to the triage station they have erected next to the mall, despite reports that 49 people are missing.

    President Obama offered the support of the United States today, stating “We will provide them with whatever law enforcement support that is necessary. And we are confident that Kenya will continue to be a pillar of stability in Eastern Africa.” Kenya was part of an operation conducted by African Union forces, in which the goal was to stabilize civil unrest in Somalia – the operation which al-Shabaab stated as the reason for their attack.

    President Obama will need to keep a close eye on the situation seeing as some of the terrorists responsible for the attack have identified themselves as Americans via Twitter. Two members stated that they hailed from St. Paul, Minnesota, home to the second largest population of Somalis in the world. This news comes as a blow to American terrorism progress following reports earlier this month that the second most dangerous American terrorist of all-time, Omar Hammami, had died.

    Image via YouTube