The Pulse of CBS Philadelphia: April 10-14
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - This week, parts of New Jersey battled wildfires, a shooting at a Delaware mall forced mallgoers to run for safety, and a Cheltenham High student used her business skills to help classmates ahead of prom.
Here's what our CBS News Philadelphia team has worked on this week:
Christiana Mall shooting: What we know
Three people were shot at the Christiana Mall in Delaware last Saturday. Police said the shooting wasn't a random act.
Police are searching for three suspects in connection to the shooting.
Authorities said three male suspects confronted an 18-year-old male as he was leaving the food court. The three suspects began assaulting the 18-year-old, according to police.
The Christiana Mall is located in northern New Castle County in Newark, Delaware, 40 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
N.J. wildfire that burned nearly 4,000 acres 100% contained
The New Jersey Forest Fire Service said Thursday morning that the Jimmy's Waterhole wildfire in Manchester Township, Ocean County, is 100% contained.
The fire broke out along Route 539 and Horicon Avenue and caused several road closures and evacuations. All evacuation orders were later lifted and residents were able to return home.
No one's been injured and no structures have caught fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation though firefighters say 99% of all wildfires are started by humans, whether accidental or intentional.
Ocean County residents say massive forest fire was like a bad dream
Ash from the fire is still on the lawns of many of these homes, but people CBS News Philadelphia talked with Wednesday say they're thankful no one was hurt but are still weary of what could happen next.
"It was a lot of like panicking and as a community, we all came together and had each other's backs," Aliyah Terry said. "It's like a scary dream. Honestly, it's pretty insane. I'm just really happy everybody in the town is safe."
Evacuation orders were lifted just before 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The chief of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said they still don't know what caused it.
Firefighter teaches first responders ways to interact with people with autism
Lieutenant Brian Focht built a training program to teach firefighters, paramedics and police how to recognize autism, overcome the communication barrier and use strategies to calm someone down during an emergency.
"They could see someone who doesn't want to talk to them or won't make eye contact. Or that could present with them...flapping their hands or flapping their feet or staying on their toes," Focht said. "That's called stemming, where they're trying to calm themselves internally, so the worst thing they could do is try to stop that behavior."
Lt. Focht holds autism training 30 to 40 times a year, sometimes with his son, who's now an adult.
"It makes me proud and like prideful to be his son and see all the positive effects and like, outcomes that has come from it," Daniel Focht said.
One Cheltenham High School student is making Prom affordable
Cheltenham High School, senior Katie Barners is taking away the stress of dress shopping for her peers by setting up a prom pop-up shop at school.
"I want them to feel gorgeous prom because you're about to go to college, or wherever you're venturing off to after high school. You want to look and feel good. That reflects on your mindset," Barners said.
About 50 of these stunning gowns were donated by Mon Cheri bridal shop in Trenton. Others are gently used.
The prom pop-up shop is this Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm here at Cheltenham High School.
