Watch CBS News

Suspect Arrested In South Shore Plaza Shooting

BRAINTREE (CBS) – Police arrested a suspect allegedly involved in a gang-related shooting inside South Shore Plaza Friday night.

Michael Spence, 23, was arrested early Saturday morning in Quincy after he was identified using surveillance footage and other resources.

South Shore Plaza Shooting Michael Spence
Michael Spence. (Image Credit: Braintree Police Department)

Shots were fired inside Macy's just before 7 p.m. Friday night. Shell casings and a gun were recovered in the store.

South Shore Plaza shooting
Police on scene at a shooting inside Macy's at the South Shore Plaza. (WBZ-TV)

Police said a fight between two people escalated into a shooting before both suspects fled the scene. The incident appears to have been gang-related.

That the shooting does not seem to be random was a consolation for some shoppers.

"It seems like he might have had a specific target. It wasn't just one of those terrorist-like things where everyone is (a target),"John Harrington said. "In that way it makes you actually less nervous."

The mall was placed on lockdown and by 10 p.m. all employees and shoppers had been escorted from the building.

South Shore Plaza shooting
No one was injured in a shooting at the South Shore Plaza. (WBZ-TV)

Spence is being charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building.

Police said the investigation remains "open and ongoing."

Spence is believed to have known the second person, who has not been identified.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

South Shore Plaza will reopen as scheduled on Saturday at 10 a.m.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.