**Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of gun violence**
On the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 22, a shooting occurred inside the South Shore Plaza mall in Braintree. The victim—Dijoun C. Beasley, a 26-year-old man from Dorchester—died after being hospitalized. At the time of writing, the identity of the shooter is still unknown.
The shooting occurred near a Forever 21 at about 3 p.m., when Beasley was shopping inside a retail store. Beasley was approached by an unknown man who brandished a handgun, shot Beasley and quickly fled the scene. 
Braintree police officers rushed to the scene when the shooting happened, and were soon joined by more units, state police, regional SWAT team members, Braintree firefighters and Brewster Ambulance staff.
The mall was placed on lockdown and closed for the rest of Saturday night. The surrounding neighborhood was told to shelter in place. 
“The Braintree Police and Massachusetts State Police homicide detectives attached to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office continue to work together in this investigation,” said Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey according to WHDH. “It is very much active and ongoing.” 
CBS states that prosecutors assert that the shooting was not random, and The Patriot Ledger claims police said the shooting was gang related. 
“[The shooting] looks like a targeted event. It doesn’t appear to be random at all,” said Braintree Deputy Police Chief Tim Cohoon. 
As of now, the suspect is a man captured in a surveillance photo. In the photo, the suspect is carrying a gun and wearing a black face mask. 
In the past five years, three shootings have occurred at the South Shore Plaza.
In July 2020, Jose Rodriguez shot a 15-year-old girl who was standing near him when a dispute between two groups escalated. The victim was shot in the hand and the chest. In January 2022, Rodriguez “admitted to charges of armed assault to murder, possession of a large-capacity firearm and numerous other firearms charges in Norfolk Superior Court,” according to The Patriot Ledger. 
The other recent shooting occurred in February 2017 in the mall’s Macy’s when two rival gangs from Boston happened upon each other. No injuries occurred, and Michael J. Spence of Quincy was charged with the shooting. 
Many have called upon the mayor of Braintree, Charles Kokoros, to take action against the gun violence occurring. 
“We will be working directly with the South Shore Plaza and Simon Properties to come up with solutions to these problems,” said Mayor Kokoros. “It’s a place that people should be able to go and shop safely. We should not have gunshots being fired while people are out shopping and enjoying a Saturday.” 
While Mayor Kokoros opposes the implementation of metal detectors in the mall, he has posited other action items to increase security.
“The first step is for us to increase police presence at the mall, as well as we have identified a number of areas where we would like cameras placed,” said Mayor Kokoros. “And we’re not talking about waiting. We’re talking about getting something done as soon as possible.” 
If you or someone you know has information regarding the shooting, call either the Braintree police detectives at 781-794-8620, or the Mass State Police detectives at 781-830-4990. Additionally, you can email [email protected] with information. 

Gallery | 1 Photos

A shopper observes the stores below her at the South Shore Mall in Braintree, MA.