3 People Injured in Shopping Mall Stabbing at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut
Mashantucket, Connecticut October 23 2018
Three people were reportedly stabbed on Saturday in a frightening incident at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut.
Mashantucket Tribal Police confirmed the violent outburst to reporters from local CBS affiliate WRPI. They reported that shortly after 2 p.m., three young adults were stabbed in the Tanger Outlet Mall within the casino. All three were taken to the hospital, though their injuries were identified as non-life threatening right away. Meanwhile, police took a 15-year-old suspect into custody.
The mall was not forced to lock down or go on alert. Police say they contained the incident immediately, and regular business barely missed a beat. Still, their investigation is ongoing. To assuage fears of further violence, the casino management released a public statement on the incident.
“We want to express our gratitude to our onsite first responders for their professionalism and rapid response, which effectively contained the incident and ensured safety and security for our guests, tenants, and employees,” it read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those involved with or affected by this incident, and we continue to work closely with the Mashantucket Tribal Police throughout this investigation.”
The Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation of Connecticut. It is located on their reservation in Ledyard, Connecticut, meaning that it is up to the tribal authorities to handle an act of violence like this one.
No further information on the three victims was available, making it likely that they are also minors. The identity of the underage assailant was not given either. Mashantucket Tribal Police Captain George Potts told reporters from The Hartford Courant that “no further comment will be available,” perhaps indicating that the investigation will now be a closed affair.
People on the scene posted grizzly photos from the stabbing. One showed apparent victims lying in a mall common area as EMTs tended to their wounds. Another showed blood splattered on the tile floor.
“Don’t feel very safe at [Foxwoods],” one person wrote, “multiple stabbings at the outlets, security exceedingly slow to respond and failed to secure the area or clean up blood.”
Many others on Twitter joked that in spite of the violence, they would be at Foxwoods this weekend. The casino is a popular spot not just for gambling, but for partying, dance clubs and shopping. It was one of the most successful casinos in the country for a time, though in recent years it has struggled with renewed competition.
