Sept. 1, 2016: Police officers block off a section of roadway adjacent to Tanger Outlets The Walk shopping center in Atlantic City, N.J., following a shooting incident. (Erin Serpico/The Press of Atlantic Cityvia AP)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – A shooter killed the manager of a clothing store whom he knew before turning the gun on himself Thursday at an Atlantic City outlet mall, officials said.
Authorities said Lewis Maisonet, 55, of Somers Point, was in critical condition after the shooting around noon at The Walk. He shot 26-year-old Christopher Romero, of Absecon, the manager of a Zumiez store, before fleeing across the street and shooting himself at a second store, officials said.
The mayor said the two knew each other, but their relationship wasn't immediately clear.
"This is not related to any other issue with gangs or terrorism," Mayor Don Guardian said. "It was a domestic."
Rick Brooks, chief executive of the Lynnwood, Washington, company, said that Zumiez is "tremendously saddened by the violence" and was working with local law enforcement.
The Tanger outlets are a popular shopping destination for tourists near the city's casinos and boardwalk. The shooting happened hours before the Zac Brown Band performed on the beach just blocks away and at the start of the final big holiday weekend of the summer at the financially struggling shore resort.
Traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway was temporarily stopped while police investigated.
Shoppers at a Bass Pro Shops store told the Press of Atlantic City that they were told to get into "lockdown mode" and move to the back. Eddie Valerio says shoppers were released after 10 minutes and everyone in the store was fine.
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