Suspect at large following shooting at Glenbrook Square Mall in Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — One man is in custody and a suspect is at large following a shooting at the Glenbrook Square Mall Saturday afternoon.

FWPD public information officer Sgt. Juan Gutierrez said a shooting occurred just after 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the food court on the lower level of the mall, a typically busy spot on a weekend afternoon.

Brandon D. Key Jr., 22, was arrested and faces preliminary charges including a level 6 felony of criminal recklessness, a level 6 felony of intimidation, and a misdemeanor of resisting law enforcement.

Brandon D. Key Jr., courtesy of the Allen County Sheriff’s Department.

The Fort Wayne Police Department issued an Emergency Alert just after 3 p.m. stating that Glenbrook Mall located at 4201 Coldwater Road, is closed and asking those to avoid the area. Sgt. Gutierrez told WANE 15 the mall would be closed for the remainder of the day.

According to Sgt. Gutierrez, the shooting occurred in the mall’s food court. Two men armed with guns are believed to have been involved, but only one did the shooting. One person was shot in a lower extremity and has non-life-threatening injuries.

Another person was hospitalized after suffering a possible fracture during the panic that ensued following the shots being fired. They are also in non-life-threatening condition.

Moments after the shooting, police were seen at Dan’s Porch and Patio near the mall at the Coldwater Road and North Clinton Street split. WANE 15 cameras caught what appeared to be Key Jr. being taken into custody. That video can be viewed below.

Officers were still working to clear out the mall just before 4 p.m. The mall was reopened to the public Sunday, with a few stores remaining closed.

Photo courtesy of Chris Wallace.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallace.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallace.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallace.

This is the third shooting to occur at the mall in the last year, with one on July 8, 2023 and another on September 1 that same year.

Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker shared a statement with WANE 15:

I want to thank the FWPD for their quick and effective response to the incident at Glenbrook Mall. Violence like this has no place in our city. Our public safety team is to be commended along with the staff at the mall. It’s important that our residents and visitors are able to enjoy our community’s amenities without fear, and I want to reassure them that Fort Wayne is a safe city. One of my top priorities as mayor will always be the safety and security of our residents and visitors.”
Mayor Sharon Tucker