Police step up patrols after deadly shooting at Michigan's Great Lakes Crossing mall
A 20-year-old man is dead, and a 19-year-old woman is recovering after a shooting on Saturday in a food court at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
It's the second fatal shooting at a shopping mall in Metro Detroit in less than two weeks.
"I don't like that it happened here," said shopper Eddie Fuller.
"It was like, ' Oh wow, really?'" shopper Kim Westenberg said.
Many shoppers at Great Lakes Crossing on Monday told CBS News Detroit that while they're shocked a shooting went down inside the outlet mall last weekend, they still feel safe visiting.
"It didn't deter me from coming. It just will make my times that I come different. It can happen anywhere," Westenberg said.
Auburn Hills police say on Saturday night, they responded to reports of gunfire that rang out inside the food court. Once on scene, officers discovered two victims: a 20-year-old man from Pontiac who died, and a 19-year-old woman who was hurt but expected to recover.
The shooter, a 22-year-old Detroit man, was taken into custody. Police say prior to the shooting, an altercation between the shooter and the deceased victim took place in the bathroom. Sometime after the altercation, the deceased male and another unknown man saw the shooter in the food court and attacked him.
An employee who was working at the time of the incident says the chaos unfolded quickly.
"Everybody ran; they scattered. We straightaway close the gate lockdown, went to the back," said Emily Wreglesworth.
CBS News Detroit reached out to Auburn Hills police on Monday. We're told that, for years, officers have brought in extra enforcement at the mall on Saturday nights and plan to continue doing so. Moving forward, however, police and mall security will increase daily patrols both inside and around the mall.
CBS News Detroit also reached out to Great Lakes Crossing for comment on security protocols, but has not heard back.
In the meantime, shoppers and employees remain vigilant.
"I think everybody is trying to prepare themselves in case if it happens again," said Wreglesworth.
The case has been turned over to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. No charges have been announced yet. Prosecutors say the case is still under review.
