American Dream Shooting Suspect Nabbed: NJ State Police

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - A suspect wanted in connection with a shooting that shut down the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford this month was arrested this week, authorities said Tuesday.

Anwar Stuart, 20, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged after allegedly shooting a man during an attempted robbery at the northern New Jersey mega mall, New Jersey State Police said in a statement issued Tuesday evening.

Stuart is charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery, conspiracy, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He is being lodged at Rikers Island Jail pending extradition to the Garden State.

Previous Coverage: 'Shooting Incident,' But No Active Shooter At American Dream: Police

On Monday, detectives from the New Jersey State Police Troop B Criminal Investigation Office, along with members of State Police Fugitive Unit, United States Marshal Service New York/ New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, and New York Police Department arrested Stuart at his Brooklyn residence.

The shooting took place on April 7, when troopers from the Meadowlands station responded to a report of a shooting inside the mall, police said. Upon arrival, troopers discovered one male victim with “serious injuries” shot multiple times during an attempted robbery. He was taken to an area hospital.

NJ.com reports that the shooting occurred on the second floor of the mall. A New Jersey State Police representative did not immediately return Patch’s request for comment regarding the location of the shooting.

On April 7, troopers from the New Jersey State Police Meadowlands Station responded to the report of a shooting inside American Dream. When troopers arrived, they discovered one male victim was shot. The victim, who sustained serious injuries, was taken to an area hospital.

The shooting incident, which occurred around 5:50 p.m., prompted a lockdown of the mega mall. Videos posted to Twitter showed American Dream patrons running in the mall.

"My coworker is in our back room hiding with 2 girls at the American Dream mall," one Twitter user wrote at the time of the incident. "Potential shooting?"

Another man said he was "holed up" inside the blacklight mini-golf. Some people got out, including a man who said he works at the ice rink.

"My mind was running a mile a minute," he wrote. "I hope everybody is safe. Praying for the ones who got hurt."

The 3 million square foot mega mall, which opened in 2019, touts two theme parks and an indoor ski slope, as well as dining and retail.