On Friday afternoon, a serious incident occurred at the Holyoke Mall in Massachusetts when a juvenile suspect, involved in an alleged shoplifting attempt, exchanged gunfire with a responding officer

On Friday afternoon, a serious incident occurred at the Holyoke Mall in Massachusetts when a juvenile suspect, involved in an alleged shoplifting attempt, exchanged gunfire with a responding officer. The confrontation took place near the Round One entertainment venue around 4:30 p.m. According to Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan and Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, the suspect produced a firearm as officers approached. Both the suspect and one officer discharged their firearms during the encounter. The officer was unharmed, but the juvenile suspect sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Police provided first aid at the scene before the suspect was taken to the hospital. The mall was evacuated following the incident but reopened the next day. The shooting is under investigation by local detectives and Massachusetts State Police .WCVB+1WCVB+1

This incident is part of a troubling pattern of gun-related incidents at Massachusetts malls in recent months. For instance, in March 2025, a 15-year-old girl was shot at South Shore Plaza in Braintree during a fight between two groups. The girl was an innocent bystander and suffered a broken hand and a grazed bullet wound. Two male suspects, aged 20 and 21, were taken into custody in connection with the shooting .police.boston.gov+4WCVB+4WCVB+4WCVB