A fight between two Sbarro employees inside Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills left one person injured and another in police custody, according to investigators. The reported assault broke out at the Sbarro location inside the sprawling outlet mall, police said, though authorities have not disclosed further details about what led to the confrontation.
Police have not released the names, ages, or conditions of those involved, and it remains unclear what specifically triggered the altercation between the two coworkers. As reported by CBS News Detroit, one person was taken into custody following the incident while the other was left injured, though officials have not said whether those injuries required hospitalization or how serious they were.
The Auburn Hills Police Department has not indicated whether charges have been filed in connection with the fight. Michigan law offers a range of potential charges for physical altercations, depending on intent and whether a weapon was involved. Under Michigan Compiled Laws section 750.81, simple assault and battery is a misdemeanor carrying up to 93 days in jail, according to D.C. Law PLLC, while more serious charges involving weapons or intent to cause serious injury can carry years in state prison.
A Mall Still On Edge After A Violent Summer
The Sbarro incident lands at a shopping center already under a magnifying glass after a violent stretch earlier this summer. On July 11, a shooting broke out in the mall's food court following an argument between a 20-year-old man and a 22-year-old man, according to police. The 20-year-old man was killed, and a 19-year-old woman was also injured in the gunfire, police said.
Family members later identified the man killed as 20-year-old KeShawn Emery of Pontiac, according to ClickOnDetroit. A 22-year-old man from Detroit was taken into custody after that shooting; he was a Concealed Pistol License holder who asserted self-defense after being attacked in the food court, and he was released from jail on July 13 pending formal prosecutorial review, per the outlet's reporting. The station also noted the shooting was the second fatal gun incident at a Metro Detroit shopping center in eight days, following a July 3 altercation at Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn that left two people dead.
Two days after the food court shooting, on July 13, two men armed with hammers smashed display cases at the Helzberg Diamond Outlet inside the mall and fled with jewelry, according to CBS News Detroit. Police released surveillance footage seeking two suspects believed to be between 18 and 25 years old. That same day, the Auburn Hills Police Department announced it was increasing daily patrols inside and around the shopping center.
Police Say Officers Were Already Inside When Shooting Happened
Auburn Hills officers were already conducting routine foot patrols inside Great Lakes Crossing Outlets when the July 11 shooting occurred, according to the Oakland County Times, which allowed law enforcement to reach the food court immediately after receiving the first 911 calls. Police reported that the public was not under threat following that shooting.
Great Lakes Crossing Outlets spans more than 1.35 million square feet with over 180 retail, dining, and entertainment venues, making it the largest enclosed outlet shopping complex in Michigan, according to Travelmag. The property, which includes a 1,000-seat food court, is owned and operated by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, which acquired former owner and developer Taubman Centers in late 2020.
Regarding the Sbarro assault, investigators have said the injuries involved are not life-threatening. No further information about the circumstances of the fight, the identities of those involved, or potential charges has been released as of this reporting.
