DES PERES, Mo. — Major Case Squad investigators made quick work of solving a fatal shooting inside a West County Center Mall store in Des Peres Saturday.
The suspect, identified on mall surveillance video, is in custody and charged in connection to the crime.
Witnesses fled Saturday evening after reports of shots fired inside the Champs store. Investigators said shooting victim Malachi Maclin, a 20-year-old Florissant man, died after being taken to a hospital. Jason Hill, a 21-year-old St. Louis resident, is in custody and charged with second-degree murder.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident after an altercation between the two men.
A 5 On Your Side reporter polled shoppers in a nearby parking lot Monday about whether they feel safe returning to West County Center. The shoppers were promised anonymity in exchange for their comments. Some expressed hesitancy about returning to West County Center, but also feel there is no more of a threat there than anywhere else.
One woman said, “I feel safe shopping in the mall. It’s my area. I love this area, so I will feel safe all the time.”
Another woman said, “I would say it makes me a little nervous to go to the mall, now. It wouldn’t completely stop me from shopping there, but I would definitely be watching my surroundings.”
She was asked if her concern is West County Center, or any mall.
She responded, “I would definitely say I have felt less safe in Galleria in the last few years.”
West County Center officials released a statement, which reads, in part: “We have a state-of-the-art security camera system that covers the interior and exterior of the property. Des Peres Police used footage from our camera system to quickly identify the suspect and he has since been taken into custody.”
“I try to not stick my nose where it doesn’t belong,” said one man. “I don’t know too much about all that. I just know when I go there, it’s safe.
So, then he wouldn’t hesitate to go to West County Center?
“I’ll probably go back there today,” he responded.
Another woman said she would also go back.
“People should be able to shop wherever they want to shop,” she said. “I don’t think they should be able to bring guns into the mall, necessarily, but if you don’t have some place to shop in your neighborhood and you want to come to West County Mall, you should absolutely be able to do that.”
In another incident on April 2, no one was wounded after a shot was fired during an argument between two groups on the second floor of the mall.
“It definitely gives me a little bit of pause, but I’m sure it’ll pass,” said a man on his way to a grocery store. “But in the meantime, is twice a coincidence? I don’t know.”
Major Case Squad investigators say suspect Jason Hill is also charged with armed criminal action and is being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond.