(ReliableNews.org) – Gun violence didn’t take a break over the holidays in the United States. One of those shootings left a man dead and others injured. Even worse, it happened the day before Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, a conflict between two groups at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs led to a shooting. Officers with the Colorado Springs Police Department received reports of gunfire. They responded to the scene and found one man dead. Two others were shot at least one time. They were taken to local hospitals and listed in serious condition the next day. A third person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Police were investigating the potential involvement of multiple people in the shooting. The mall reopened on Tuesday, December 26. Law enforcement said there was no threat to the community.
The mall was the scene of another shooting in May 2022. A 13-year-old girl was paralyzed in that incident. Her family issued a statement after it and asked how many injured or dead people it would take before the owners of the mall took safety seriously and made necessary changes.
The Colorado Springs shooting wasn’t the only mall incident over the holiday weekend. On December 23, a man opened fire at the Paddock Mall in Ocala, Florida. Ocala Police officers allege Albert Shell Jr., 39, killed David Barron, 40, and injured a woman.
Police are offering a $10,000 award for information leading to the arrest of Shell. Authorities believe he targeted the victims and are charging him with premeditated first-degree murder and attempted premeditated first-degree murder. They are also trying to find a man who took the gunman’s hat, saying he tampered with evidence that has crucial DNA on it.
According to reports, the alleged shooter had a long history of violent criminal offenses dating back to 2003, including an arrest for domestic battery by strangulation.
Ocala Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 352-656-6137.
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