The Mall at Short Hills during these past couple weeks has been packed with shoppers hoping to get all their Christmas gifts bought before the holiday. A busy mall might be a nightmare to the average shopper, but it is a dream come true for others, namely, car hijackers. The Mall at Short Hills, one of the most expensive malls in the country and in one of the nicest counties, contains many expensive cars in their parking lots on a daily basis and many wealthy people walking around with great amounts of money. The holiday season just increases that amount and makes the ability to steal money or cars either easier or more appealing.
Late Sunday, December 15th, around 9 o’clock, Dustin Friedland and his wife Jamie were walking out of the mall to the garage where their new Range Rover was parked. As they were getting to the car, two men shot Dustin in the head. The men then quickly broke into the Range Rover and drove away, leaving Dustin dying, and Dustin’s wife unharmed but obviously traumatized. As the news of this shooting traveled around, the reaction was astonishment, surprise, and fear. Friedland and his wife were like many families of the surrounding area, both graduates from Syracuse’s law program and hoping to have children soon. This violent act has depressed the joyful mood of shopping during the holiday season and has instilled fear in many.
Sources:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/hunt-underway-suspects-short-hills-mall-shooting-carjacking-article-1.1549107