Winston-Salem man charged in connection to Hanes Mall shooting
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. May 15th, 2022
An arrest has been made in a shooting that occurred earlier last week at the Hanes Mall in Winston Salem NC police reported.
Reginald Dewayne Gray, 26, of Winston-Salem, was identified by investigators as one of the people involved in the shooting and injured during the incident.
One person was shot inside of the mall on Tuesday, the release says. The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
At about 1:52 p.m., officers responded to the scene, according to Lt. Knight of the Winston-Salem Police Department
Police say he was arrested when he was released from the hospital and is currently in custody at the Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center with no bond allowed.
Police say the incident began with a conflict between two people with guns inside the mall. They say the situation escalated, and a male suspect shot the victim in the upper right arm.
People inside the mall at the time of the shooting say they heard at least six shots, and people in the mall started scrambling to find a place to hide.
This is not the first shooting that has happened at this mall.
In November 2020, a juvenile was struck in the face by a bullet that ricocheted off of the concrete at the mall. The shooting reportedly happened in the mall parking lot near J.C. Penney. Officers identified three juveniles who fled the scene on foot during the shooting. No one was charged. Several other violent incidents have also been reported at the mall during the past three years.
Winston-Salem police and Forsyth County sheriff’s deputies upped security at Hanes Mall, patrolling the area together for the first time to present a unified front against crime in the area. In addition to hired mall security, off-duty deputies were stationed at some of the main entrances, while officers patrol inside and outside the mall.
Gray has been charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
