(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The family of a 12-year-old girl who was paralyzed after being shot in the parking lot of the Citadel Mall have addressed the new safety measures being implemented at the mall, and they say for them, it all came too late.
The family of Makayla Anderson is currently suing the owners of the mall, NAMDAR Realty, for failing to provide proper security at the Citadel. Back in 2022, Anderson was shot in the chest and suffered paralysis from the waist down.
Attorneys for the Anderson family are accusing NAMDAR of having a history of buying malls and allowing crime to increase, all while knowing more security is needed.
The attorneys added that it should not have taken Fort Carson temporarily banning soldiers from visiting the mall for the ownership to start making changes.
“When they saw a large segment of their potential patrons were no longer going to be able to frequent the mall, suddenly there’s a bunch of security updates and changes,” said Chris Stewart, a lawyer representing Makayla. “But what about the countless teens that have been killed at the mall? Or shot? Or injured? The crime that’s rampant? No changes were implemented then. That shows you the true heart, and the true thinking of mall ownership, especially NAMDAR Realty.”
Those recent security updates made at the mall include A.I. surveillance cameras, improved lighting, an emergency PA system, and increasing armed security.
FOX21 News reached out to NAMDAR Realty for comment and is waiting to hear back.
