A 29-year-old Orlando man is recovering in stable condition after being shot behind Brass Mill Center in Waterbury, with police describing his injuries as non-life-threatening despite multiple gunshot wounds to his lower extremities. The man checked himself into a Waterbury hospital following the shooting, and investigators say the incident stemmed from an isolated disturbance.
The Waterbury Police Department was notified of the shooting on Saturday and confirmed that investigators found evidence of gunshots fired behind the mall property, according to CT Insider. Police have not said whether the Florida man was targeted or how the disturbance began, and the investigation remains ongoing. The outlet's reporting, credited to journalist Diamy Wang, does not indicate any arrests connected to Saturday's shooting.
A Mall With a Troubled Recent History
This is not the first time gunfire has rattled the sprawling retail complex at 495 Union Street. Just over a year ago, on May 27, 2025, a mass shooting broke out inside Brass Mill Center itself, wounding five young adults after a dispute escalated into gunfire, according to CT Mirror. That shooting led to the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect on five counts of first-degree assault, as reported by CBS News.
In the aftermath of the 2025 shooting, visitors fleeing the mall publicly raised alarms after finding several designated emergency exit doors locked during the panic, an issue that prompted reviews of the mall's security protocols and emergency egress compliance, per footage examined by FOX61. Years earlier, in March 2021, another shooting occurred inside the mall's food court, drawing a large police response before authorities determined there was no ongoing danger to the public, according to a report cited by WTNH.
A Mall Built for $160 Million, Sold for a Fraction
Brass Mill Center is a 1.18 million-square-foot facility that opened in 1997 on a former industrial brass manufacturing site, sitting directly off Interstate 84 and less than a mile from Waterbury Police Department headquarters, per the mall's own site history and background compiled on Wikipedia. That proximity has repeatedly factored into how quickly officers have been able to respond to incidents at the property.
The mall's financial trajectory has mirrored its security troubles. In spring 2022, Brass Mill Center and the adjacent Brass Mill Commons were sold together for $45 million, with the mall itself accounting for just $18.9 million of that total, a steep drop from its original $160 million construction cost, according to the Hartford Business Journal. The complex has faced high vacancy rates after losing major anchors like Macy's and Sears, fueling ongoing local debate over security staffing and redevelopment plans for the property.
What Comes Next
Following the May 2025 mass shooting, Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski and Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo held a joint news conference reassuring the public that the venue was safe and encouraging shoppers to return, a response that underscored how seriously city leadership has taken the mall's economic stakes. Pernerewski took office in late 2023 with a stated focus on public safety and downtown revitalization.
Should charges be filed in Saturday's shooting, any suspect would face steep exposure under Connecticut law. First-degree assault involving a firearm is a Class B felony under Connecticut General Statutes ยง 53a-59, carrying a mandatory minimum non-suspendable prison sentence of five years and a maximum of up to 20 years per count, according to the Connecticut General Assembly. For now, Waterbury police have released no information on a suspect, and key questions remain unanswered, including whether the Orlando man was specifically targeted and whether the confrontation began inside or outside the mall's footprint.
