COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A 22-year-old Colorado Springs man has been arrested in connection to the deadly Christmas Eve shooting at the Citadel Mall, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).
Josiah Brown was arrested on Wednesday, January 9. He is being charged with murder in the first degree, two counts of attempted murder in the first degree, and assault in the first degree respectively.
The department says that shots were fired after a fight broke out between two groups inside the mall just after 4:30 p.m. on December 24.
Three people were shot and one died at the scene. He was identified by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office as 18-year-old Teryus Thomas. The two other men are in stable condition after being treated at local hospitals. According to police, one of those men was a Security Guard at the mall who was trying to break up the fight.
This is still an active investigation, and anyone with information or who is a witness to this investigation is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000; or if you wish to remain anonymous, you may call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
BACKGROUND
In April 2023, News5 reported a drastic increase in calls for service from police at the mall, up 60% from 2021 to 2022, with total calls more than double that of Chapel Hills Mall and almost four times as many as The Promenade Shops At Briargate.
The majority of calls to the Citadel Mall from 2021 to 2022 were for shoplifting. Others included on the list were 24 calls for aggravated assault, 33 calls for motor vehicle theft, 11 weapons law violations, and seven calls for kidnapping/abduction.
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