A teenager was arrested by Syracuse Police on Saturday evening after being found with a semi-automatic handgun at the bustling Destiny USA mall.
The police were initially called at 5:15 p.m. following reports of a disturbance on the first floor, near the carousel. Multiple 911 calls reporting a man armed with a handgun followed soon after.
Using the mall’s security cameras, mall security managed to track the armed individual and two others he was accompanying until they exited the mall.
Syracuse Police promptly intercepted and took the group into custody. During the search, an 18-year-old, Cincere Whitehead, was found to be carrying a semi-automatic handgun. He has been charged with three felonies.
The mall continued operations throughout the incident, albeit with a pronounced police presence for several hours.
The arrest is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents at Destiny USA mall this year.
Earlier instances included a shooting near the mall’s solar street entrance in June, and a 14-year-old discharging a handgun into a crowd in February, leading to a lockdown and a comprehensive police search for the suspect.
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