A 17-year-old was killed during a shooting inside a shopping mall in a suburb of Baltimore and Washington over the weekend. Police said that the shooting took place in the area of the food court at The Mall in Columbia in Howard County, Maryland on Saturday, with authorities stating that they received a call regarding gunfire in the food court area of the mall at about 6:10 p.m.
Howard County police state that officers found a male victim who was fatally shot, identified as Angelo Little of Columbia. Authorities stated that Little was killed by a suspect after at least one shot was fired “during an altercation between two people” in the mall’s food court area; police also determined that those involved in the shooting fled the mall, and detectives believe the victim was targeted. No arrests have been made, with police adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said during a news conference Saturday evening: “We don’t believe that this was a random incident and we do believe the victim was targeted. We don’t have any information about a history of a relationship between the two, but based on our preliminary evidence, this was not a random incident.” Llewellyn said that police worked to identify who was involved in the incident and escorted shoppers out of the mall in small groups to ensure investigators spoke to all potential witnesses: “There’s no safety reason, really, that we’re escorting them out rather than sort of opening the doors and letting everyone come out at once. It’s really for investigative reasons.”
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said: “I am aware of the ongoing situation at the Mall in Columbia. Our Howard County Police Department is actively investigating and will provide updates as information becomes available.”
The Mall in Columbia resumed normal operating hours on Sunday; they shared in a statement: “We are extremely upset that these individuals chose our center for a targeted act of violence. We pride ourselves on being a safe haven for the community to shop, dine and be entertained. Our center maintains a comprehensive and robust security program this is constantly being evaluated to meet the needs of our shoppers. We want to thank our security team and the Howard County Police Department for their swift response.”
Officials in Howard County are investigating the incident, with police offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information about the suspect or shooting. Anyone with information should contact police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDcrimetips@howardcountymd.gov.
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