An alleged shoplifter fired at least one shot at store employees chasing him at Mondawmin Mall in West Baltimore on Saturday evening before being caught and arrested by an officer working an overtime holiday shift, Baltimore police said.
The 42-year-old man, identified Sunday morning as Santee Taylor of the 2700 block of Mosher Street, had been detained by employees inside the Rainbow clothing store about 5 p.m. when he ran out of the store, police said. As he reached a mall vestibule near Shoppers and Marshalls, he "pulled out a handgun and fired at least one shot in the direction of the store employees," police said.
Taylor then ran out of the mall and across a parking lot, police said.
A uniformed Baltimore police officer working overtime as part of a holiday deployment at the shopping center witnessed the shooting occur and chased Taylor on foot to the 2300 block of Gwynns Falls Parkway, where the arrest was made behind Frederick Douglass High School, police said.
A handgun was recovered from Taylor, police said.
Taylor was charged with attempted murder and various assault and weapons charges, police said Sunday.
Police said there were no injuries to any of the store employees and that the mall remained open during and after the incident, which they described as an aggravated assault.
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