A 66-year-old man was taken into custody after arriving at a Paramus, New Jersey, mall where he allegedly planned to kill minorities en masse.
The suspect, who has yet to be identified, is a resident of nearby Hasbrouck Heights. He was taken into custody after notifying several friends that he intended to drive to an unspecified mall and open fire on black and Asian shoppers, one of whom notified police, the Paramus Daily Voice reports. The friend noted that the suspect was “upset over a verdict that came out today and was going to seek revenge against minorities — either African-American or Asian,” and “was going to go to an unknown mall and f*cking kill them,” according to Hasbrouck Heights Police Capt. Joseph Rinke.
It is unclear which trial triggered the suspect’s outrage.
Police tape is seen in front of a police vehicle as Manuel Oliver displays a banner calling on government officials to prioritize gun violence prevention from a construction crane near the White House in Washington, DC, on February 14, 2022. – (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
He was later arrested without incident in a parking garage at the Westfield Garden State Plaza, the second-largest mall in New Jersey. He was not found to be carrying any weapons.
Detectives are in the process of obtaining a search warrant for his vehicle, according to Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg. (RELATED: Three People Shot At North Carolina Mall On Black Friday)
The suspect is expected to be transported to the Bergen New Bridge Medical Center for evaluation, and will likely face charges in both Paramus and Hasbrouck Heights. Additional charges may be filed following the execution of the search warrants and the conference of both involved departments with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s office.