It's happened again at Westfield Mall Wheaton

On September 23, 2019, a co-worker was seriously assaulted at Westfield Mall, Wheaton Maryland by four thieves. These persons were eventually arrested on January 7, 2020 as reported in the Wheaton Patch. Unfortunately, on Friday of this past week, it happened again. Another co-worker was assaulted during his lunchbreak at the mall. His physical injuries were quite severe. Besides requiring six stitches to his face, a wrist and a knee were both broken.

In both instances, my co-workers bravely attempted to take photos of the perpetrators with their cell phones. However, "bravely" does not necessarily equate to "wisely". Their efforts to document their respective cases of aggression served to escalate the situation leading to greater violence.

In both cases, the perpetrators of these crimes were arrested. That is satisfying. The Montgomery County Police are to be congratulated. However, my co-workers will have lost several days of work recuperating from their physical injuries and the resulting emotional trauma.

Sadly, I cannot offer a solution. I have been to countries where security guards were posted with assault rifles at shopping venues. That is not the type of life I want for my family. Between the Covid-19 scare and fear of assault, my trips to the mall during lunchtime will cease. There will be a vaccine available soon for the Corona virus. Is there a fast track injection for random violence?