2 Hotel Workers, 1 Other Helped Mall Of America Shooter Flee: Police

BLOOMINGTON, MN — Three people have been charged in Thursday's shooting at the Mall of America, but police say the shooter is still at large.

Denesh Raghubir, 21, Selena Raghubir, 23, and Delyanie Kwen-Shawn Arnold, 23, each face one count of aiding an offender to avoid arrest. If convicted, they each face a max of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Selena, of Bloomington, and Denesh, of Minneapolis, are cousins, and both work at the Best Western Hotel near the mall, police said.

"We are deeply saddened by the violence that took place at the Mall of America last week and our thoughts are with the Minneapolis community," Best Western said in a statement emailed to Patch.

"Noting this hotel is independently owned and operated, we support the hotel’s decision to immediately terminate the employees who were allegedly involved in this terrible event. The actions of these employees stand in stark contrast to our brand’s values and the sense of community that is at the heart of our hotel family."

Authorities identified the shooter as Shamar Alon Lark, 21, of Minneapolis. Security footage showed Lark and Rashad Jamal May, 22, of Burnsville fleeing after the shooting, according to the criminal complaints filed in the case.

Bloomington police are currently looking for Lark and May but they have not yet been formally charged.

Lark is wanted on suspicion of second-degree assault, while May is wanted on aiding an offender, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said at a Monday news conference.

"You cannot, in a free society, continue to enjoy all the freedoms that we have when you're gonna show a complete lack of respect for humanity by firing into a crowded mall store," Hodges said.

The chief also warned anyone against helping Lark and May. "These three people helped them and we locked them up," he said, holding up the booking photos of the three people charged Monday.

On Aug. 4 at about 4:15 p.m., Bloomington police officers on duty at the Mall of America were alerted to gunshots fired on the west side of the mall.

Officers found three cartridge cases on the floor just inside the main entrance of the Nike store, investigators said. Surveillance video showed that a fight involving six people broke out near the Nike checkout area, causing several customers to run away, according to the criminal complaints.

Video also showed Lark and May leaving the store briefly before Lark returned and fired a handgun into the store, authorities said.

The footage then showed Lark and May running east in the mall, out the north doors, and into the parking lot of IKEA, the criminal complaints state.

Police say records from May's phone showed that after the shooting, he contacted Delyanie Kwen-Shawn Arnold, of Burnsville, and Denesh Raghubir. Authorities said Arnold then contacted his girlfriend, Selena Raghubir. Selena works as an assistant manager at Best Western, according to police.

According to investigators, Lark and May were picked up by Denesh in a Best Western hotel shuttle at IKEA and he transported them to the Best Western location across the street from the mall.

The shuttle dropped Lark and May at the back side of the hotel, where a vehicle registered to Selena Raghubir was trailing behind, authorities said.