Mall of America shooting suspect and accomplice arrested in Chicago
Two suspects wanted in connection with a shooting at the Mall of America last week were arrested in Chicago on Thursday as they were walking out of a barbershop, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges announced at a press conference.
Shamar Alon Lark, 21, and Rashad Jamal May, 23, are accused of getting in a fight with another group of people inside the Nike store one week ago.
The two suspects briefly left the store, but police say that May prompted Lark to return and fire three shots. No one was wounded.
The shooting sparked panic at the biggest mall in America as shoppers fled for safety.
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“A week ago, we said that you can’t shoot up a mall and expect to get away with it,” Hodges said Thursday. “You can’t commit these acts and think you’re going to enjoy the freedoms of a free society.”
Lark and May were taken into custody without incident and will be extradited to Minnesota, Hodges said.
Three other individuals accused of helping Lark and May escape the mall have also been arrested.
Denesh Raghubir, an employee at a nearby Best Western, allegedly drove the motel’s shuttle to an Ikea and picked up the two suspects.
Selena Raghubir, Denesh’s cousin and the assistant manager of the motel, immediately left the front desk for 45 minutes when the shuttle arrived back at the Best Western, according to court documents.
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Her boyfriend, Delyanie Kwen-Shawn Arnold, is accused of then transporting the two suspects to a residential area in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Both Selena and Denesh Raghubir have been fired from their jobs. All three suspects were arrested this week and charged with aiding an offender to avoid arrest.
Hodges didn’t specify what led law enforcement to May and Lark’s location in Chicago, but he did say they have roots in the area, which is about 400 miles southeast of Bloomington.
“Today is the best outcome that we could expect,” Hodges said Thursday. “Everybody is safe. Everybody gets to go home to their family tonight who was involved in apprehending Mr. Lark and Mr. May, with the exception of [the suspects], because we locked them up for their behavior.”
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