A 19-year-old man from Connecticut has been charged with multiple offenses related to assault and weapon use following an incident where five individuals were shot during an altercation at a mall, as authorities announced on Wednesday.
Tajuan Washington, who was on $20,000 bail for unrelated motor vehicle violations, voluntarily went to the police station as officials were surveilling him. He surrendered after the shooting took place at the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury on Tuesday, according to city Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo in a press briefing.
The injuries sustained by the victims were reported as non-life-threatening. The incident, which occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m., led to a frantic evacuation of mall-goers searching for safety and prompted a large response by law enforcement who conducted an extensive search of the premises. Using security footage, police identified Washington leaving the scene and monitored his residence before he turned himself in, said Spagnolo.
During a court appearance on Wednesday, Washington was detained on a $2 million bond, facing charges that include first-degree assault, criminal use of a weapon, discharging a firearm illegally, and risk of injury to a child.
Washington’s public defender, Justin Chan, stated that Washington had acted in self-defense, noting the young man’s trauma from losing a family member to gun-related violence. Chan also pointed out that Washington had no previous convictions.
Attorney Lawrence Adler, representing Washington in the motor vehicle charges, claimed Washington denies those accusations, describing the case as trivial. Adler mentioned he was not familiar with details of the mall shooting.
“There’s no indication from his past that this young man was prone to violence,” Adler remarked.
Waterbury’s Mayor, Paul Pernerewski Jr., reported that three out of the five injured people have been released from the hospital, while two remain under medical care. Among the injured, a woman hit in her spine has shown some sensory recovery in her limbs, which gives hope that she may not suffer permanent paralysis, Pernerewski added.
The shooting stemmed from an argument between Washington and another man who was accompanying four young women, Pernerewski explained.
“It was a confrontation between two young men with a shared history,” the mayor noted.
Despite the incident, Pernerewski remarked on the resilience of the community by stating, “This is a strong city. We come together, especially in times of adversity.”
Chief Spagnolo refrained from sharing specific details about the argument, noting a partial understanding of the cause. Evidence pointed to a .40-caliber handgun being used by the shooter, though the weapon has not been recovered. Police executed a search warrant at Washington’s residence and seized two rifles, finding ammunition that matched the spent rounds found at the scene, according to Spagnolo.
Washington drove to the police station, notifying the authorities of his role in the altercation, as observed by the officers keeping tabs on his whereabouts, Spagnolo mentioned.
Democratic Governor Ned Lamont expressed his shock at the violence, expressing dismay that what might have been a mere fistfight escalated to gunfire. “It’s alarming when someone resorts to using a semiautomatic weapon, wounding five people in a matter of seconds,” Lamont commented during a news conference.
Witness reports and police descriptions painted a chaotic scene, with onlookers in panic, some locking themselves within mall areas, while police conducted a search for the suspect.
Eyewitness Jayvon Turner recounted to WFSB-TV that one victim was bleeding profusely, describing the frantic situation as chaotic while urging people to evacuate.
Court documents revealed Washington was part of a probation program designed for first-time offenders earlier in the year, with the charges sealed from public view per state law for such cases.
In a previous incident, Washington was reportedly apprehended by state troopers for driving over 100 mph on Interstate 84. Though he initially evaded a pursuing officer for safety reasons, authorities eventually arrested him by tracking his vehicle’s registration back to his address.
The Brass Mill Center, adjacent to Interstate 84 in Waterbury, about 30 miles southwest of Hartford, has been a site of past active shooter drills conducted by the police, which, according to Spagnolo, aided the officers in their prompt response to the crisis.