NewsCenter 11, Connecticut, United States, May 14, 2021, 17:25:33-16:00A mall shooting victim is escorted by police after he was shot outside the Belden Village Mall in Danbury, Connecticut on May 14.
The mall is located in a rural area in central Connecticut and the victims’ identities were not released.
Police say the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Aaron M. Shumate, walked into the Beylah Shopping Center and fired shots into the crowd.
He then took off running into a nearby residential neighborhood.
Witnesses described the suspect as black or Hispanic, with a mustache, and wearing a white shirt.
“I heard several gunshots and thought someone was in distress, but when I got out of my vehicle I saw the shooter running through the mall,” said store employee Amy Brown, who is white.
She called the police and the mall was secured.
The mall was reopened later that evening.
After being taken into custody, Shumet was booked into Danbury State Prison on murder and armed robbery charges.
Officials with the Connecticut State Police said the shooting suspect was found to be carrying two handguns.
Danbury police are investigating the shooting.
In an earlier news conference, authorities said the suspects had a history of violence.
Authorities said the suspect’s motive for the attack remained unknown.
“We do not know what motivated the shooter,” Danbury Police Chief Mark Schierbach said.
According to court documents, Shrumate was released from prison in 2014 on parole.
Shumate has a prior arrest for robbery, a burglary conviction and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Investigators said the mall shooting is the third fatal shooting at the mall in the past two months.
On January 3, an unidentified man was fatally shot outside of the Beelys in Danford.
The next day, a man was shot to death outside of an adjoining mall in Bridgeport.
There have been no reported injuries in the mall shootings.