Person of interest in custody after five people shot during dispute at Conn. mall

Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant on May 28, 2025

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HARTFORD, Conn.— One person is in custody following a shooting at the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, Connecticut, on Tuesday that left five people injured — a chaotic situation that police said could have been much worse.

The shooting, which police believe stemmed from a dispute that escalated into gunfire, was reported at 4:43 p.m. when officers were dispatched to the mall at 495 Union St. on the report of shots being fired, according to Lt. Ryan Bessette of the Waterbury Police Department.

Responding officers found five adults suffering from gunshot wounds which were later determined to not be life-threatening, Bessette said. No fatalities were reported.

At a Tuesday evening news briefing, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo said there was security staff in the mall when gunfire erupted but no officers were inside. Multiple officers in the area were at the mall within minutes, he said.

Police had to escort firefighters and medics inside so they could give aid to the victims, according to Spagnolo. Each of them were later taken to an area hospital and treated for wounds that varied in severity.

Police do not believe the shooting was a random act.

“We believe this started as a conflict and it escalated,” Spagnolo said, adding that the shooting occurred in a “central area” of the mall. “We do know there was one gunman at this time we’ve identified.”

Spagnolo said the shooter, believed to be a man in his early 20s, was armed with a semi-automatic pistol. Waterbury police were assisted by Connecticut State Police as well as the ATF and the FBI.

Immediately following the shooting, authorities scrambled to determine where the gunman entered the mall and where he left using video surveillance and other digital evidence, Spagnolo said. Investigators believe he may have been assisted by someone, though Spagnolo did not elaborate.

Late Tuesday, police said they had a “person of interest” in custody. The individual was not immediately identified.

Spagnolo said some of the staff and consumers who were in the mall when gunfire rang out went into a shelter-in-place mode until the area was deemed safe. Authorities used a K-9 unit and went store by store to make sure they covered every “nook and cranny,” according to Spagnolo.

“The people that were in the mall, the consumers that were in the mall did an incredible job of keeping their families safe,” Spagnolo said. “The mall staff did an incredible job at keeping everyone safe. I think they mitigated a lot of what could have been a really bad incident here.”

This is not the first time a shooting occurred at the Brass Mill Center mall. In December 2023, a 17-year-old was injured in the food court area during what police described as an isolated altercation.

“It’s not an ongoing trend,” Spagnolo said Tuesday. “That was a conflict, it was not a random act of violence. People were held responsible for that, were taken into custody since then.”

Since the 2023 incident, Spagnolo said the mall has been “fairly quiet.”

“These acts occur unfortunately in the society we live in at times,” he said. “But we can’t let it get us down. We just have to make sure we forge forward and are just very aware of our surroundings and stay safe.”

Police were expected to release additional information at a news conference in the late morning hours Wednesday.

“This is going to be a very lengthy and ongoing and active investigation,” Spagnolo said.

Gov. Ned Lamont said late Tuesday, “This afternoon there was a tragic mass shooting at the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, a place where everyone should feel safe.

“We are grateful to law enforcement, who acted swiftly. Details are still forthcoming, but the Connecticut State Police will be assisting Waterbury Police with the investigation,” Lamont said. “Our hearts break for the Waterbury community, the victims, and their families who have been impacted by this incident.”

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes issued a statement late Tuesday saying she had stepped out of a town hall event when she heard the “devastating news of a mass shooting” at the mall “resulting in multiple injuries.”

“It is a tragic reality that no place in our community is safe from gun violence. My prayers are with the injured and their families at this time,” Hayes said.

“This is an active investigation with details still forthcoming,” Hayes continued. “I have reached out to Mayor (Paul) Pernerewski to offer the full support and assistance of my office and applaud the quick response of local law enforcement whose actions were critical in mitigating further harm and securing the area.”