Destiny USA shooting: Police arrest suspect after man shot at mall on Black Friday

Sarah Taddeo , Ryan Miller | Democrat and Chronicle

Show Caption Hide Caption Syracuse mall: Man who fled gunshots says Black Friday isn't worth this Thomas Swiney heard gunshots at Destiny USA in Syracuse and fled the scene on Black Friday.

Thomas Swiney was visiting his family for Thanksgiving. He was with his mom and brother inside Destiny USA’s food court when he heard gunshots on Black Friday.

“My first thought was to get down the escalator,” said Swiney, who fell down the escalator in the chaos and suffered minor gashes on his hands and legs.

Later, while he was searching for his mom and brother in the parking lot outside the food court, there was a second wave of people streaming from inside the mall. That’s when he said he saw a man crouching in the parking lot holding a revolver.

“He looked right at us, out in the open,” Swiney said.

He later told police what he’d seen.

Syracuse mall shooting: Chief thanks officers, workers at Destiny USA Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner and Destiny USA General Manager Robert Schoeneck address the media Saturday.

Syracuse police on Saturday announced the arrest of Kyree Truax in Friday's shooting. He’s charged with second-degree assault and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies. He was also charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor.

Police were expected to address the arrest at a news conference Saturday morning.

The shopping center was evacuated after the shooting inside the largest mall in New York state on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Destiny USA shooting: Man shot multiple times inside Syracuse mall Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner said officers responded "within seconds" after the reports of shots fired inside the mall. (Nov. 29, 2019)

Syracuse police responded to a call of shots fired at 7:07 p.m. and arrived on scene within seconds, according to Syracuse Police Department Chief Kenton Buckner.

Police initially thought the sounds were fireworks before finding a man in his early 20s with gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital with injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening.

Police evacuated the mall and closed Destiny USA for the remainder of the night. The mall went from bustling to bedlam to barren in just more than an hour.

"In the early stages of this incident we thought we could've had an active shooter. It turns out that was not the case," Buckner said.

Police believe the victim was involved in a dispute with the shooter.

“This evening’s unfortunate and isolated incident at Destiny USA was between two known acquaintances and not a random act or part of any intentional threat against the property," said Pyramid Management Group, which owns Destiny USA.

Democrat and Chronicle reporter Sarah Taddeo was there seconds after the shots were fired and as a wave of shoppers fled the mall. Taddeo was entering through the food court entrance with her parents just after 7 p.m. to see a movie when dozens of people ran outside and some yelled that there was a shooting.

Possible active shooter at Destiny USA? What is going on. Hundreds of cops are converging at Macy's!!!!! #destinyusa #syracuse #mall pic.twitter.com/1swJGTDz95 — XC ReDemptionX (@XC_ReDemptionX) November 30, 2019

"In the back of your mind you always kind of want to have a plan and know what you would do," said Swiney, of Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania. "Now it's like, I don't want to go to a shopping mall this big. Black Friday and all of that stuff, nothing you're going to buy on Black Friday is worth what happened today."

Taddeo witnessed the first police cars arrive at the food court entrance and enter the mall carrying assault-style guns. Police K-9 units headed up the escalator and a helicopter circled over the mall.

There was a gridlock of traffic exiting the mall, hamstrung by the mayhem and police presence.

Anyone locked in a store can exit , please avoid food court area. @destinyusa — Syracuse Police Department (@SyracusePolice) November 30, 2019

Some mall employees helped customers shelter in place, which led to groups of people fleeing the mall and other contingents hiding inside stores, dressing rooms and bathrooms until they were released. Some crowds thought they were still escaping an active shooter situation when they eventually evacuated.

"There were thousands of people in the mall so you obviously have a delayed response or reaction," Buckner said. "Some of the stores went into their emergency protocol which means they locked some individuals within their store. So some individuals you saw (fleeing later) could've been the result of them letting them out."

Thomas Swiney of Mechanicsburg, PA, was at Destiny USA when he heard shots. @DandC pic.twitter.com/BsFFpN5OxD — Sarah Taddeo (@sjtaddeo) November 30, 2019

Destiny USA is a six-story shopping and entertainment complex. It houses a 19-theater Regal Cinemas and a 209-room Embassy Suites hotel. Destiny USA says it is visited by more than 26 million people every year.

Some of Buckner's family members were shopping in the mall thee or four hours prior to the shooting.

"I certainly understand the panic people would have if your family members were in the mall when information came out," Buckner said. "Everything is safe now. Police are on scene and have the situation under control."

"We plan, we train for this incident."

Police in tactical gear with K9s headed up the stairs to the food court area. Police briefing should be happening shortly. Stay tuned on @DandC Facebook page. @DandC pic.twitter.com/Bn3JscmEp7 — Sarah Taddeo (@sjtaddeo) November 30, 2019

Another person was stabbed but police are unsure if the stabbing is related to the shooting.

“People need to be careful,” Swiney said. "There’s a lot of sick individuals in the world and this can happen anywhere when you least expect it.”

Pyramid Management Group plans to reopen Destiny USA on Saturday morning.

Police evacuated the Walmart in Camillus, Onondaga County, following a bomb threat earlier Friday. The Walmart is about 6 miles from Destiny USA.

There was a stabbing on Black Friday last year at Destiny USA. Two men were stabbed after a dispute at the Macy's store in the 2018 incident.

Confirmed shooting at the Destiny USA mall. One male victim with a gunshot wound to the leg. Non life threatening. Suspect not located . Avoid food court area — Syracuse Police Department (@SyracusePolice) November 30, 2019

THERE WAS A SHOOTING AT DESTINY USA. We were in lockdown inside of a store. Thankfully we made it out but I am terrified and shaken up. The shooter has not been located. Praying that no one else gets hurt and that employees of stores can leave safely. — meaghanne (@meg_oconnell) November 30, 2019

Evacuating destiny USA in Syracuse after an active shooter, which I heard and ran with my fam, managed to find the other part of my fam and I'm hungry. Happy Black Friday everyone! — Maria Paula. 🌙☀️ (@Screablue) November 30, 2019

When you're trying on clothes in a dressing room at the mall and quickly have to evacuate because there's a shooting. I think this is become ridiculous, no? #guncontrol #BlackFriday #destinyusa — Gigi Kawar (@GhazalKawar) November 30, 2019

There was just a shooting at Destiny USA. Max and I were able to get out safe but those 20, 30 minutes we spent hiding felt like an eternity. I am literally shaking. — 🎄 courtney 🎂 (@courtelizbth) November 30, 2019