Shooter kills self, two employees at Maryland mall

Columbia, Md. – A lone 19-year-old gunman killed two employees of a Zumiez store at The Mall of Columbia in Columbia, Md., on the morning of Jan. 26. Media reports indicate that local authorities began receiving 911 calls about the incident at the suburban Baltimore mall at 11:15 a.m. ET.



Police arrived within two minutes and discovered three bodies, including that of the shooter, in the store. Six shots were fired from a shotgun found at the scene, and one other person was wounded in the foot by gunfire and another four were injured during the crowd reaction to the shooting. The mall was closed following the incident and thoroughly searched by police for other shooters, weapons and explosives. Other than two crude homemade explosives and extra ammunition found in the shooter’s backpack, police found no other weapons or devices.



The shooter has been identified as Darion Marcus Aguilar, 19. The victims, Brianna Benlolo, 21, and Tyler Johnson, 25, both worked at the store. A motive has not yet been established and so far no connection has been made between Aguilar and the victims. The mall is scheduled to reopen at 1 p.m. ET on Jan. 27.



In a statement, Zumiez CEO Rick Brooks conveyed the company’s sympathies.



“The Zumiez team is a tight-knit community and all of our hearts go out to Brianna and Tyler’s families,” he said.