The suspect in the mass shooting that resulted in five people being injured at a Connecticut mall has been identified.
Tajuan Washington, 19, was charged with five counts of first-degree assault and weapons charges on Wednesday (May 28), officials said via the New York Post. Washington, who was out on a $25,000 bond for reckless driving and other charges, reportedly opened fire after confronting another man he "had history" of "beef" with during the incident at Brass Mill Center in Waterbury on Tuesday (May 27).
The man who Washington confronted was struck, along with four women he was with at the time, Waterbury Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski, Jr., said during a news conference update on Wednesday. The mayor reiterated that the incident wasn't a random act of violence.
“This was a one-off incident,” Pernerewski said, confirming that the mall was once again safe for shopping to resume.
No fatalities were reported and all five victims' injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening, according to NBC Connecticut. Many people were reported to be shopping at the popular 1.1-million square-foot mall when shots were fired, according to officials.
"This afternoon there was a tragic mass shooting at the Bass Mill Center in Waterbury, a place where everyone should feel safe. We are grateful to law enforcement, who acted swiftly," Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont wrote on his X account Tuesday.