Man opens fire on store employees at North Carolina mall, cops say
A man was arrested in North Carolina after shoplifting and opening fire in a mall, according to authorities.
The Winston-Salem Police Department responded to a call at Hanes Mall just before 6 p.m. July 24 after a gun was fired within the building, a press release from the police department says. Police cleared the building and reported no injuries.
Investigators identified the gunman as Carolton Vernell McCrimmon, 33, after he was arrested by Iredell County deputies, WXII reported.
Police say McCrimmon interacted with an employee in the mall’s Belk department store before leaving and returning with a gun. The man then opened fire within the Belk before fleeing.
McCrimmon had tried to shoplift from Belk before he was confronted by a store employee, according to Fox 8’s reporting.
After he fled the mall, McCrimmon was stopped by Iredell County deputies, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies found stolen merchandise in the back of McCrimmon’s car and arrested him for reckless driving and theft.
The Winston-Salem Police Department connected McCrimmon to a second shoplifting incident at Home Depot earlier the same day, according to Fox 8.
McCrimmon is now in custody facing charges from both Iredell County and Winston-Salem, the sheriff’s department said.
Among the charges from Winston-Salem police are assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharge firearm within enclosure to incite fear and discharging a fiream within the city limits, WFMY News 2 reported.
