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Willowbrook Mall: Shooting reports in Houston spark fears; first details
A shooting reportedly took place at Willowbrook Mall on 2000 Willowbrook Mall, Houston, Texas on Saturday.
A shooting reportedly took place at Willowbrook Mall on 2000 Willowbrook Mall, Houston, Texas on Saturday. A local freelance journalist in the Houston area wrote on X “IM GETTING REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED INSIDE THE WILLOWBROOK MALL.”
“HPD looking in the food court,” they noted in a follow-up post.
A page on Facebook added “SHOOTING IN PROGRESS. WILLOWBROOK MALL INSIDE MACYS. OFFICERS ON SCENE SEARCHING FOR 1 BLACK MALE WEARING ALL GREY WITH BACKPACK. NO CURRENT REPORTS OF INJURIES. ACTIVE SCENE HAPPENING NOW.” In an update, they also shared “One suspect detained after fleeing on foot believed to be the primary suspect. Scene still under investigation.”
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Houston Police are yet to officially comment on the matter. Authorities have not shared details about the suspect or about injuries.
Reactions to Willowbrook Mall shooting reports
One person reacted to reports of shooting at the mall and said “So thats what was happening. They caught his stupid ass outside with his black mario bullet back pack lmao.” Another anxiously asked if there were ‘Any updates’.
A person remarked “they got the guy from what I can tell nobody was injured and they got the sole suspect,” and another chipped in, saying “I heard that on the radio.”
Notably, the Willowbrook Mall prevents people from carrying firearms onto the premises. The Code of Conduct notes that one shall not bring firearms or illegal weapons. “The center is a privately owned property. Guests who do not act responsibly may be asked to leave. If they refuse to leave the property, they may be arrested and prosecuted for criminal trespass,” it further adds.
However, the Willowbrook Mall has witnessed several acts of violence in the past, with shootings having taken place as well, albeit more in the mall parking lot. In 2017, it was reported that one person was stabbed and the other shot after an altercation broke out there. Then, in 2023, there was a report of a 19-year-old suspect who was charged over an armored car robbery there. FBI Violent Crime Task Force arrested 19-year-old Ricardo Rodriguez after an armored car guard, who was wearing a vest at the time, was shot.
Another incident took place in 2015 when two people were shot outside the mall. Dante Thomas was taken into custody over the incident. As per police, witnesses had seen two women in the pickup truck in the parking lot before shots rang out. One of them died on spot and her daughter was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
