SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — In the weeks before a shooter fired into a trash can at Destiny USA, the mall’s owners discontinued having a Syracuse Police cruiser rove the parking lots.
While Syracuse Police couldn’t provide the exact date the roving vehicle stopped, a department spokesperson confirms it happened in the last month.
Destiny USA’s owners, Pyramid Management Group, have not responded to NewsChannel 9’s multiple requests for comments about the incident via emails Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The roving police cruiser was designed to deter car break-ins and fights in the parking lot, while also signaling a constant police presence on the property at a time when many shoppers don’t feel safe.
The mall also deals with routine larcenies from stores.
Many people in the community have reiterated their concerns about security at Destiny USA in the hours and days after an unidentified man shot into a trash can in the midst of two groups arguing.
The sound of a gunshot sent shoppers running for safety and activated the mall’s safety plan, which results in tenants taking people into back rooms for safety and shutting the front gates.
In about 20 minutes, police confirmed the shooter left the property and people were told it was safe to come out. The mall remained closed Friday and reopened for normal business Saturday.
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh met with representatives for Pyramid Management Group, Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile confirms to NewsChannel 9. Syracuse City Hall hasn’t said who initiated the meeting, what was discussed or what resulted from it.
The company has historically not been willing to discuss safety and security measures at the mall, despite notable shootings or stabbings in 2019, 2021, 2022 and now 2023.
Juli Boeheim, wife of SU Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim, was the victim of a high-profile robbery in the Destiny USA parking lot last March.
