The owner of a Massachusetts mall that’s been the site of several violent incidents in recent years, including a fatal shooting on Jan. 22, is pledging to beef up security.
Dijoun Beasley, 26, of Boston, was shopping inside a store at the South Shore Plaza in Braintree when he was targeted by another man with a handgun, authorities said. He died at a hospital. The 19-year-old suspect remains at large.
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Michael Romstad, executive vice president of property management for mall owner Simon Property Group, told The Patriot Ledger for a story Monday that the shooting was “unacceptable.”
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The mall is adding security features like a K-9 unit, more armed guards and more security cameras, including portable security camera towers outside connected to Simon’s Indianapolis-based intelligence center, he said.
Simon has been working with Braintree Mayor Charles Kokoros and police Chief Mark Dubois.
The mall pays for three city police officers to patrol, but the mayor and chief don’t think that’s enough and want Simon to pay for more.
The mayor also said the video surveillance system at the mall is “a little bit behind the times,” and would like to see upgrades.
In addition to the latest shooting, gang members exchanged gunfire inside a department store at the mall in 2017, and in 2020, a 15-year-old girl described as an innocent bystander was hit twice during a shooting.
