Security upgrades are coming to Castleton Square Mall after one man was killed and another injured in separate shootings at the shopping center earlier this year.
New technology brought in to deter criminal activity will include license plate reading cameras at parking entrances and additional parking lot towers with live-view cameras, according to the mall’s parent company Simon Property Group.
The security upgrades at the mall are in addition to an already comprehensive security plan the mall has in place, said Russ Tuttle, senior vice president and chief security officer with Simon.
‘It was terrifying’: Chaotic scene at Castleton Square Mall; shooting injures at least one
The Indianapolis-based company’s Operations Intelligence Center for its more than 250 retail properties around the world is located inside Castleton Square Mall. There, more than 90 employees monitor live-camera feeds at all the company’s properties to dispatch security guards to unusual activity or contact local police.
Castleton Square Mall has about 14 full-time security officers and around six certified police officers on staff, including an officer with a K-9. The K-9 officer responded to the shooting scene in February within seconds then secured a firearm and applied a tourniquet to a teenager who had been shot in the leg, Tuttle said.
Court records: Confrontation led to exchange of gunfire at Castleton Square Mall in February
“We are going to continue to invest in things until we get people to go elsewhere that have bad intentions,” said John Rulli, chief administrative officer for Simon. “That’s our commitment to our to shoppers, our employees, our retailers and the community.”
A mix-up in the parking lot, involving two nearly identical cars, led to the deadly shooting in January at Castleton Square Mall, according to court documents.
Michael Mason Jr., 16, was killed in the shooting outside the mall about 8 p.m. Jan. 3. His 21-year-old friend was shot three times in the leg but survived. Clyde Michael Johnson, 19, admitted to the shooting that night but told police he was afraid he was being robbed, according to a probable cause affidavit for Johnson’s arrest.
Court records: Vehicle mix-up prompted January shooting at Castleton Square Mall
The shooting in February at the mall was prompted by a confrontation between two groups of people. The exchange of gunfire left a teenager with a gunshot wound in his leg and sent mall shoppers scrambling for safety.
The injured teenager Curtis Wilson, 18, was arrested and is accused of firing shots during the confrontation, court records state.
New security upgrades at Castleton Square Mall
Similar to other Simon properties, Castleton Square Mall will soon have license plate reading cameras.
Last February, the company installed the cameras at Greenwood Park Mall after two employees were robbed in the parking lot on separate occasions.
More:License plate reading cameras coming to Greenwood Park Mall after January robberies
“The Reader’s Digest version of this is that the … cameras were what broke the case in the two robberies,” said Greenwood Police Chief James Ison at the time. “When I explained that to the mall, they thought it would be beneficial for them to invest in some.”
The cameras assist law enforcement by detecting license plates and vehicle characteristics.
The license plate reading cameras send an alert to police when a stolen vehicle drives past. They also can alert police when a vehicle belonging to a known wanted person, from a national crime database, passes by a device.
The cameras also are able to alert officers if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected.
More:‘Senseless killings’: Police release new details in Greenwood Park Mall shooting
The company already has cameras facing outward from the Castleton Square Mall into the parking lot, with a few security towers in the parking lot. More towers, with audio capabilities and high-definition cameras, will be installed in the parking lot to add to the security presence, a mall representative said.
“The peace of mind obviously is the most important thing that we are trying to provide to anybody that comes here,” Tuttle said. “(Crime is) happening everywhere, it’s not just happening at a mall.”
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
