Shooting at Connecticut mall leaves 5 injured; person of interest in custody: Police

Five people were injured in a shooting at a mall in Waterbury, Connecticut on Tuesday, May 27, and police told Paste BN that a person of interest was in custody.

Waterbury police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said at a news briefing that five people were shot at the Brass Mill Center. The victims had non-life-threatening injuries as of Tuesday night, according to a statement from the Waterbury Police Department obtained by Paste BN.

The department said the shooting appears to have stemmed from a dispute that escalated into gunfire.

"We do not believe this is a random act of violence," Spagnolo said at the news briefing. "We believe this started as a conflict and it escalated."

In a post on X, Connecticut Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said the shooting at the mall was "tragic."

"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," he said.

Witness Javon Turner told CBS News that he heard the gunshots.

"A girl got shot. She was losing a lot of blood," he said. "It was crazy, and I tell everybody, 'Get out of here, let's go.' I tried to get everybody out of here in safety."

The department said that there is no ongoing threat to the public and a press conference with Spagnolo, Lamont and Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr. is set for 10:45 a.m. ET.

This is a developing story.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.