19-year-old charged after 5 shot at Connecticut mall

WATERBURY, Conn. -- Police in Connecticut have arrested a 19-year-old in the shooting of five people at a mall in Waterbury on Tuesday.

Tajuan Washington, 19, of Waterbury, is charged with five counts of first-degree assault and a number of weapons violations, authorities said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Washington is being held on a $2 million bond.

Brass Mill Center Mall remained closed after the shooting just before 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, which prompted a massive police response and mall lockdown.

The victims, four women and one man, range in age from 20 to 26.

Three of the victims have been treated and released from the hospital. The remaining two are stable, and continue to receive medical care.

The most seriously wounded is a woman who suffered a gunshot to the spine.

Authorities said that the shooting was not random, and appeared to have stemmed from a dispute that escalated into gunfire.

Law enforcement recovered evidence from the scene, including items connected to the firearm.

No officers were posted inside the mall at the time of the incident.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont released a statement after the shooting, saying in part, "This afternoon there was a tragic mass shooting at the Bass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, a place where everyone should feel safe. We are grateful to law enforcement, who acted swiftly."

Authorities said the Brass Mill Center, while not opened to the public as of Wednesday afternoon, has been thoroughly searched and cleared by the Waterbury Police Department in coordination with the Connecticut State Police.