It’s been nearly a week since 3 people were shot at a Durham mall. Here’s what we know

Update: “Robbery outside store led to shooting at Streets at Southpoint mall, Durham police say”

It’s been nearly a week since three people were shot at The Streets at Southpoint mall in southern Durham.

The shooting took place on Black Friday, disrupting one of the busiest shopping days of the year and panicking crowds.

In addition to those shot, one of them a 10-year-old hit by a ricochet bullet, at least three others were injured.

It was one of at least two reported incidents of shots fired at the mall over the past three years, according to 911 records obtained by The News & Observer through a public information request.

The other report occurred in October, when police said a fight broke out in the mall’s food court and a gun was displayed but no shots were fired. Police said reports of gunfire that day came from the loud bangs of a broomstick striking a table, The N&O reported.

Durham police detained one person after the Black Friday shooting but as of Thursday had announced no arrests or suspects.

Except for a brief media briefing that day, new Police Chief Patrice Andrews has declined The N&O’s requests for an interview

Here’s what police, the mall and elected officials have said over the past week.

Durham police still investigating

On Monday, police said no charges had been filed and one of the three shooting victims remained hospitalized.

The other two who were shot, a man and the 10-year-old, were treated and released from the hospital the day of the shooting, police said.

In an email Wednesday, police said they had no updates.

The shooting took place on the second floor between two groups who knew each other, Andrews said last week.

Off-duty officers working inside the mall called for assistance after hearing gunshots around 3:23 p.m., she said.

At least one weapon was recovered.

Andrews said there were “several people we want to be able to locate and speak with,” but as of Wednesday police declined to say whether any had been found.

“We will be making several arrests, I’m certain, during the course of this investigation,” Andrews said last week.

Police declined to comment on how many shots were fired or to elaborate on the nature of the two groups and their argument.

As of Nov. 13, there had been 243 people shot in Durham, 38 fatally.

As of Nov, 16, there had been 44 homicides this year, the most based on readily available records since 1995, a police spokesperson said.

Southpoint mall response

In a statement the night of the shooting, the Durham mall said it was “saddened and outraged that we were the location for such a senseless act of violence among a group of individuals.”

Rachel Wille, a spokesperson for Brookfield Properties, which Southpoint mall is a part of, told The N&O on Monday that the mall does not discuss its security protocols publicly.

“While we will not ever disclose what happens behind the scenes, some measures will be visible to the public, including an increased police presence,” she said in an emailed statement.

Wille said the mall has a mandatory curfew, requiring guests under 18 be accompanied by an adult on Friday and Saturday evenings.

“This recent incident involved individuals known to each other (and) can occur anywhere in our community,” she said.

Wille did not respond to additional questions, including whether whether those involved were under 18 and if curfews would now change.

Bill Nesbitt, a California-based security consultant who has worked with hundreds of malls across the country, said security measures needed to be tailored to the situation of the mall at hand.

“What we do in security, it’s an anticipatory discipline at its best,” he said. “And at its worst, it’s a reactive discipline.”

“You can’t take a simplistic view, a black and white view,” Nesbitt added. “It’s the shades of gray that are important.”

What city officials have said

Durham City Council Member Mark-Anthony Middleton says the city needs “to leverage all of the tools” against gun violence.

He pointed to police department staffing and pay disparities between Durham and other cities as “a top priority.”

As of last month, the Durham Police Department had 74 vacancies among 537 allocated sworn officer positions. There were 13 vacancies among its 125 allocated civilian positions.

Durham police recruits begin at a lower salary than at some nearby Triangle police departments. In Durham, recruits make $38,511, increasing to $40,342 when released into full duty, The N&O reported in November.

In Wake Forest and Cary, the starting salary for police officers is over $50,000. In Fuquay-Varina and Knightdale, officers start above $45,000.

“We know that our ability to respond to things that happen, like the issue at Southpoint mall, requires adequate staffing,” Middleton said. “And the response is not just getting there to secure the premises, but also having the personnel to investigate these issues and lead to us getting folks who do things like this off the street.”

On Tuesday, Durham Mayor Steve Schewel told The N&O he had reviewed surveillance footage of the shooting, but had nothing new to say.

Mayor-elect Elaine O’Neal, who will be sworn in next week, said Thursday she also had no comment yet.

“Mayor Schewel is still the mayor and will continue to be until I am sworn in on Monday,” she said. “I respect the work he has done.”

Anyone with information on Friday’s shooting is asked to call Durham police investigators at 919-560-4440, ext. 29119 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200. Those who provide tips leading to arrests in felony cases can earn cash rewards and do not have to identify themselves.

This story was originally published December 2, 2021 at 1:43 PM.