Concord Mills reopens day after officer shot a theft suspect inside the busy mall
Concord Mills reopened for business on Thursday, a day after a Concord cop shot a credit card theft suspect inside the popular mall.
“Concord Mills will open for normal operating hours today, 11am-8pm,” the mall said on Twitter Thursday morning.
“This incident frightened a lot of people at the mall,” Concord Police Major Todd McGhee said at a news conference Wednesday.
Mall management and property owner Simon did not respond to repeated requests for comment Wednesday and Thursday.
The shooting at the mall
On Wednesday, two Concord Police officers responded to a 911 call at 12:30 p.m. about a person’s credit cards being stolen by three men in the mall, McGhee said.
The mall was closed and on lockdown at 1 p.m., Concord Police said on Twitter, advising everyone to clear the area. Fifteen minutes later, police said the scene was clear, and “there is no danger to the public.”
Arriving officers spotted the suspects outside the mall, who fled back inside. One of the three suspects shot at the police, at least once, striking the ground in front of the officers, McGhee said.
Officers returned fire, hitting the suspect. He was flown to a Charlotte hospital and was in critical condition.
The other two suspects were caught outside the mall and taken into custody, according to police.
Concord police asked the State Bureau of Investigation to take over the case, as is standard when an officer shoots someone.
Police on Thursday identified the suspects who were arrested as Wuanell Hernandez of Charlotte and Christian Myles Tyson of Kannapolis. Both are 21. Hernandez is being held on a $15,000 bond, according to Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office records. Tyson’s bond was set at $20,000.
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.
Mall safety
It’s not the first safety scare at the mall.
In December 2019, a teen was killed and two others were injured after shots were fired in the Concord Mills parking lot near Dave & Buster’s. A stray bullet killed 13-year-old Aveanna Propst.
In June 2021, a fight between two men led to a shooting in the mall parking lot.
On July 30, 2021, 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 policy was implemented after the mall had closed early twice within 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, off Interstate 85 Exit 49 in Concord, opened in 1999. The 1.36 million-square-foot mall has nearly 200 stores and restaurants.
The mall is one of the largest and most popular malls in the state, and includes Lego store, AMC Concord Mills 24 movie theater and the North Carolina aquarium Sea Life.
Staff writers Joe Marusak and Kallie Cox contributed to this report
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 10:19 AM with the headline "Concord Mills reopens day after officer shot a theft suspect inside the busy mall."