Teen suspect in Staten Island Mall stabbing facing several charges
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Nov 28, 2022– The alleged 16-year-old suspect in Friday night’s stabbing at the Staten Island Mall has been charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, a spokeswoman for the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information told the Advance/SILive.com.
The incident took place in the second floor food court at approximately 7:38 p.m. Two 16-year-old boys were engaged in a dispute when one of the teens allegedly displayed a knife and stabbed the other in the abdomen. A knife was recovered at the scene, police said.
The victim was transported in stable condition to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, with a non-life-threatening injury, according to police.
A pair of police vehicles could be seen parked outside the upper-level of Macy’s, and several police officers could be seen walking through the mall among Black Friday shoppers.
Despite the incident, parking lots at the mall remained crowded Saturday morning as shoppers still showed up searching out post-Black Friday deals. Members of the mall’s security team and several police officers could be seen patrolling both the upper and lower levels of the building.
Lauren Sakariassen, a Primark employee, lamenting the mall’s safety procedures, told the Advance/SILive.com that she was a bit tentative coming into work Saturday as mall security did not make employees aware of Friday’s incident in the aftermath of what had taken place.
Many shoppers had either not heard about the incident, or had only heard about it briefly in passing.
“We are angry this happened at our shopping center,” said Lindsay Kahn, director of public relations for Mall owner Brookfield Properties. “We are grateful that things did not escalate and that our shoppers and tenants were not injured as a result. We are thankful to our security officers and partners at NYPD for their quick response.”
Maria Ruscio of Tottenville, concerned about mall safety simply said: “That’s why I’m here at 10 a.m.”
Another shopper stated: “I’ve been coming to the mall for years; it’s fine.”
While another remarked: “I’m not a fan of the mall anymore,” as she headed down a second floor escalator with her children.
