Willowbrook Mall shooting a mass casualty incident? First info on alleged suspect out; scary videos emerge

Willowbrook Mall shooting: Wayne police confirmed that they responded to reports of shots fired at the Willowbrook Mall in New Jersey

Published on: Dec 31, 2025, 07:17:16 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Willowbrook Mall shooting update: Wayne police confirmed that they responded to reports of shots fired at the Willowbrook Mall in New Jersey on Tuesday night. It is unclear at this time if there are any injuries. NJ Transit said buses heading to and from the mall could face delays.

Reports of a shooting at Willowbrook Mall emerged on Tuesday (Unsplash)

Several videos emerged from the scene, showing chaos among shoppers and locals. A large police presence was seen at the mall premises.

Wayne Police issues statement

“Wayne Police are currently investigating an incident at Willowbrook Mall that involved the reports of shots fired. Numerous officers are on-scene and the situation is stable. We ask that everyone avoid Willowbrook Mall at this time,” the police department said in a post on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

Mass casualty incident?

Initially local scanner reports stated that it was a mass casualty incident, which is defined by the NIH as ‘an event that overwhelms the local healthcare system, where the number of casualties vastly exceeds the local resources and capabilities in a short time ’.

However, these scanner reports were updated to just ‘shooting’.

Willowbrook Mall suspect info

Meanwhile, several social media users and witnesses shared unverified information about the alleged suspects. “There was a Shooting with 3 Shooters at WillowBrook Mall in Wayne NJ. We Grew Up at that Mall and it was a Nice Place. This Never Happened Before THEM…” one person tweeted along with a video from the scene.

“The incident was followed by an active shooter situation. Reports indicate 4 people were involved and 2 suspects are detained by the police,” another one added.

Wayne police have yet to confirm these details. HT.com cannot verify the authenticity of these claims yet. As per scanner reports, the mall was evacuated.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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