Law enforcement authorities at the scene of an American Dream shooting in East Rutherford on Thursday, April 7, 2022. Michael Karas, NorthJersey.com EAST RUTHERFORD – The American Dream was locked on Thursday afternoon after a shooting, resulting in a man being injured and creating chaos in the huge shopping and entertainment complex that separated parents from their children as spectators ran to save themselves. The shots were heard inside the mall shortly before 6 pm and the police locked the mall a little later. New Jersey police say a man was shot and taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. State police said a preliminary investigation revealed that there was only one suspect who shot the victim around 5:50 p.m. and called it an “isolated incident.” “There is no threat to the public and the incident remains under investigation,” state police said late Thursday night. Shortly after 8 p.m., state police said there was no active shooting. “It has been decided that he is not an active shooter,” New Jersey State Police said on Twitter at 8:20 p.m. “The mall is safe and the soldiers are in the process of evacuating the spectators safely. State police said the mall plans to reopen on Friday. Isabella O’Malley, 23, was on the third floor of the mall with her mother and younger brother when she said they heard two gunshots. “At first we did not think it was a shooting, but then we saw people running and we knew something was wrong,” O’Malley said. The story continues below the gallery He said that they tried to run to a store, but found that the stores began to close their gates. Instead, they ran down the escalator downstairs. When they arrived at the garage, police were already there, telling buyers to get in their cars and leave. Shoppers evacuated from the mall waited in the parking garage to be reunited with their families who were in a lockdown on the other side of the complex at the theme parks. “Anyone who wants to be reunited with any member of the family, please go to Lot 26,” state police said. Theodore Allen from Virginia, who was at the mall when the incident happened, said of his family: “I think they are still stuck in the water park. I can not get there because they do not let me. So I’re just sitting here waiting. “ Virginia Tony Smith, who was locked in the theme park and is Allen’s father, said on his cell phone: “I guess they let sections go out one by one, which is silly because you have kids there and parents here. So everyone is separated. “ Smith said he cared for a 10-year-old boy who divorced his mother and did not know where she was. More: Here is a sneak preview of the giant wheel that opens soon in American Dream Allen was shopping at Spencer’s while his family was in the water park and heard a loud bang coming from the center of the mall, near the food court. “I heard people say they were crackers, so I didn’t think of anything,” Allen said. When he checked the area, he saw something that looked like pieces of crackers on the ground and assumed it was just a hoax. “But later,” he said, “I saw people running outside.” Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted Thursday night thanking police for their response. “We thank our brave soldiers @NJSP and the law enforcement professionals on stage at the American Dream Mall. We are incredibly grateful for your prompt response.”
Problematic story
Thursday’s incident is the latest in a long, turbulent history of a mall that has been building for decades. The idea for a megamall first appeared in 1996, with heavy construction beginning in 2005 under the name Xanadu. The original colorful construction became a look along Route 3, a symbol of a seemingly failed project. Many lawsuits and several owners later, American Dream Mall finally opened in the fall of 2019 with theme parks, boutiques and chain stores and restaurants. Then, just months later, the COVID pandemic struck, delivering another blow to the project. In September 2021, a fire broke out in the 16-storey ski and snowboard park, 180,000 square feet, which has since kept the attraction closed. On the Big Snow website, a note indicates that the attraction is expected to reopen on Memorial Day weekend. Nicholas Katzban is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all the major news happening in North Jersey, sign up here. To receive breaking news directly in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter.
