Concord Mills mall shooting: Charlotte man one of 2 suspects named by police
A theft suspect shot at police in a store construction area in Concord Mills mall on Wednesday before officers returned fire, critically wounding the assailant as terrified shoppers hid or fled, authorities said.
Two officers arrived outside the mall after a 911 caller reported their credit cards being stolen by three men in the mall, Concord Police Major Todd McGhee said at a news conference. The caller provided descriptions of the assailants, and the officers quickly spotted them and began to approach them outside the mall, he said.
“They ran from the officers and eventually fled back into the mall, and the officers pursued the suspects through the mall,” McGhee said. “At the end of the foot pursuit, one of the three produced a handgun.”
One of the officers reported over his police radio that the suspect had a gun, “and both officers gave multiple commands to drop the weapon,” according to the major. “Instead of complying, the suspect with the gun fired a shot, at least one, at one of the officers.”
The bullet struck the ground “just in front of the police officer,” McGhee said. “Both officers returned fire, striking the suspect. After the suspect was shot, officers called EMS and provided first aid.”
Officers later saw the other two suspects outside the mall and took them into custody, McGhee said.
Police on Thursday identified the two suspects who were arrested as Wuanell Hernandez of Charlotte and Christian Myles Tyson of Kannapolis. Both are 21. Hernandez was found behind a dumpster outside of Best Buy, and Tyson was taken into custody at a Concord the hospital, according to a police report.
Hernandez is being held on a $15,000 bond and has a Sept. 15 court date, according to Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office records. Tyson’s bond was set at $20,000, and he has a Sept. 2 court date.
The wounded assailant has not been identified and remains in critical condition at a Charlotte hospital, a Concord spokesperson told The Charlotte Observer on Thursday.
“This incident frightened a lot of people at the mall,” McGhee said Wednesday.
The mall “has policies and plans for a terrible situation like this, and I want to give them credit for following those plans and helping with the early investigation,” the major said.
Concord police asked the State Bureau of Investigation to take over the case, as is standard when an officer shoots a person, they said.
McGhee said the SBI at some point will release the names the officers involved in the incident.
He asked anyone who has cellphone footage of the incident to call the SBI at 980-781-3000.
The major said he considers the mall safe despite the shooting. “This area has 24 officers assigned to this district,” he said, and crime has decreased in recent years.
‘Shots fired’ heard on radio
The incident happened just after 12:30 p.m.
A police officer is heard in emergency radio communications calling in “shots fired” around 12:35 p.m, according to audio obtained by the Observer via Broadcastify. It’s not clear from the audio what preceded the shooting.
In the moments before, the officer is heard relaying information about the location of one or two people. Concord Police notified mall security that the officer and possible suspect were at the mall or approaching the mall, according to emergency radio traffic.
At 1 p.m., police said on Twitter that the mall was closed and urged everyone “to please clear the area.”
At 1:15 p.m., Concord Police reported on Twitter that “the scene is secure at this time and there is no danger to the public.”
“With the assistance of the NC SBI, we are currently investigating an officer involved shooting at Concord Mills Mall,” police said.
Former Observer reporter Karen Garloch was browsing in the back of Books A Million where the magazines are when she saw some teens run past her, talking loudly and going out the emergency exit, triggering a store alarm.
Then she overheard someone say there was a shooter in the mall. It was 12:41 p.m. The manager said over the loudspeaker he had locked the store and that they were safe inside, she said.
Garloch told the Observer she didn’t feel scared. By the time she left the store, at about 1:15 p.m., she was the only customer who had been there, along with several employees.
Police walked the halls of the mall as well as outside, while a helicopter flew overhead.
The most recent shooting at the mall was reported in June 2021. A fight between two men escalated to gunfire in the mall parking lot, police said.
Last summer, Concord Mills started a teen curfew requiring anyone younger than 18 to be accompanied by an adult after 3 p.m, on Fridays and Saturdays. The mall had closed early twice over a few months because of problems with juveniles: in January 2021 due to juveniles fighting and in November 2020 because of disorderly youths.
Concord Mills mall, off Exit 49 in Concord, opened in 1999. The mall is operated by Simon.
Simon officials and mall management didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The mall remained closed Wednesday, but reopened on Thursday morning.
Staff writers Anna Douglas, Adam Bell and Catherine Muccigrosso contributed.
This story was originally published August 31, 2022 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Concord Mills mall shooting: Charlotte man one of 2 suspects named by police."