Police: Man Shot By Police At King Of Prussia Mall Linked To 4-Day Crime Spree
KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (CBS/AP) — Prosecutors say an armed suspect shot and wounded by police in a parking garage at a suburban Philadelphia shopping mall remains in serious condition.
Officials said the shooting happened Sunday afternoon outside of the King of Prussia Mall in a parking garage connected to Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom department stores. Upper Merion police haven't said what led to the shooting.
From what police have gathered so far, the man shot appears to be connected to a four-day, two-state crime spree.
"Usually you don't hear these kinds of things at this mall," said mall patron Daniel Green. "It's really well-secured and it's just shocking."
That's how patrons shopping at the King of Prussia Mall reacted to news of a shooting at the Green Parking Deck around 4 p.m. Sunday, a day after a suspect robbed a woman there at gunpoint.
"Scary. It's scary," Yvonne McBride.
Sunday night, Upper Merion Township Police Chief Tom Nolan confirmed the suspect allegedly started his two-state crime spree last Thursday in Wilmington, when he allegedly carjacked a white Chevy Cobalt.
"In three previous robberies, the suspect was known to be armed with a 9mm handgun. Had previously fired a shot at one fleeing victim in Delaware," said Nolan.
Then on Friday the suspect swapped the Cobalt for a maroon Kia Sorento, holding up an 87-year-old man in New Castle County, Delaware, to get it.
That victim, Richard Byrd tells CBS3 that the suspect approached him as he was sitting in the driver's seat of that vehicle around 8:30 a.m. The man then flashed a gun and demanded Byrd to move to the passenger seat. From there, the suspect took Byrd on nearly a two-hour drive.
"At one point we went into a small development. He stopped and pulled over to the side of the road and said we're going to sit here for about 20 minutes then I am going to take you home," said Byrd, who was eventually dropped off unharmed adding that during the drive he did not feel afraid of the suspect.
"I didn't feel threatened by him except when he had a pistol in his hand," Byrd added.
On Saturday the stolen Sorento was driven to Pennsylvania to the King of Prussia Mall and the thief robbed a woman in the green parking deck.
"During that robbery, the suspect jumped into the back seat of her vehicle and put a gun to her head and demanded her purse," said Nolan .
Sunday afternoon, for some reason, police say the same suspect came back to the same parking deck, in the same stolen Sorrento, was spotted by police and ultimately shot.
"He intentionally rammed into Upper Merion Township police cars and attempted to run down officers from Upper Merion Township Police that were trying to take him into custody," said Nolan.
Officers fired several shots, then paramedics rushed the injured suspect to Paoli Hospital.
Investigators also found a 9mm handgun from the driver's seat of the stolen car.
Customers say they are grateful for the swift police response that ensured no customers or employees got hurt.
"Just be more cautious when you're out and about," said Eddie McBride.
"It's part of our life and our lifestyle," said Lorraine Streizziere. "In this day and age, you don't expect to see something like this, especially so close to home."
Sources in Delaware confirm the suspect in the Delaware carjacking and robberies is Kalin Jackson.
Montgomery County officials won't release his name until he is formally charged.
