Officers from the Goldsboro Police Department, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, and local firefighters responded to the Berkeley Mall at approximately 11:52 am on Thursday after shots were fired.
Law enforcement entered the mall, spoke with staff, and made a preliminary determination that several suspects involved in the incident fled the area.
Descriptions of the suspects were disseminated to law enforcement personnel. Law enforcement also began conducting a security sweep of the premises and adjacent areas and subsequently determined that no one had been injured by the gunfire.
Efforts to safely evacuate patrons and employees within the mall were undertaken. Additional law enforcement personnel saturated and searched the area for the above-mentioned suspects and located one suspect in the 2800 block of Cashwell Drive. Two additional suspects were later located and arrested in the 3100 block of Cashwell Drive. Law enforcement recovered firearms from all of the suspects. This shooting incident involved subjects known to each other and was not a random act of violence.
Berkeley Mall was locked down along with Greenwood Middle School, Meadow Lane Elementary, and North Drive Elementary. All school lockdowns were lifted by 1:30 p.m. The mall was closed for the remainder of the day. Berkeley Mall is scheduled to re-open on Friday.
Jalil McDuffie, 21, De’Maj Oates, 19, and Tywan Bennett, 18 were each arrested and charged with attempted murder, discharging a firearm in an enclosure, going armed to the terror of the public, carrying a concealed gun. All three men are being held without bond and are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Childress Klein, the company that manages Berkeley Mall, released the following statement, “We are deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident that occurred earlier today at Berkeley Mall where an altercation happened on our premises. Our hearts go out to all those affected by this distressing situation. We are very thankful that there were no reported injuries during this incident. The safety and security of our tenants and patrons are of paramount importance to us.
In response to this incident, we have fully cooperated with law enforcement’s investigation. We have temporarily closed the mall to allow the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation.
We will be reopening (Friday) now that the police have concluded investigating the scene and camera footage, and we will continue to have 24-hour security personnel stationed throughout the premises. Additionally, we will be expanding our presence of off-duty officers from both the City of Goldsboro Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department during mall operating hours.
We understand the concerns and apprehension that this event may have caused, and we want to reassure our merchants and shoppers that we are taking every possible step to maintain a safe environment within our premises.
We are thankful for the swift response of the Goldsboro first responders from law enforcement, the fire department, and emergency services, and we appreciate the understanding and cooperation of our community during this challenging time. We will steadfastly uphold our commitment to the safety and security of all who visit Berkeley Mall.”
