A real scare for shoppers at The Walk outlets in Atlantic City on Thursday after police said a man shot and killed a store manager before turning the gun on himself. NBC10’s Ted Greenberg reports.
Nearly three moths after a gunman killed a man at popular Atlantic City outlets then turned the gun on himself, a grand jury indicted the suspected gunman on new weapons charges.
Luis Maisonet, 55, already faced first-degree murder, aggravated assault and weapons charges for the Sept. 1 shooting of Christopher Romero. On Wednesday, unlawful weapons charges and pointing a gun at another person charges were added, said the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
Police said Maisonet entered the Zumiez clothing store at the Tanger Outlets' The Walk at 2010 Christopher Columbus Boulevard in Atlantic City Sept. 1. He then allegedly took out a gun and shot store manager Romero, 26. He then walked across Arkansas Avenue to White House Black Market and turned the gun on himself after being confronted by an off-duty police officer from out of town, law enforcement sources said.
Police arrived at Zumiez at noon after receiving multiple 911 calls. Both Romero and Maisonet were taken to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center - City Division. Romero was pronounced dead at the hospital while Maisonet was in critical condition.
Law enforcement sources told NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg it appeared Romero was dating Maisonet's ex-girlfriend.
Romero's co-workers expressed shock over the deadly shooting.
"I immediately started crying," Anthony Acosta, a Zumiez employee said. "We're all a family here so basically one goes down, we all go down. It's very upsetting."
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Stores in the area were locked down, leaving shoppers sheltered inside for at least 20 minutes, as police determined the scope of the shooting.
Maisonet was jailed on $1 million bail.
SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
