Taeshawn Adams-Wright, 3 others charged in Mall of America shooting

Four suspects were charged Thursday in connection to last weekend’s fatal shooting at Minnesota’s Mall of America — with more arrests expected going forward, according to authorities and reports.

Prosecutors charged Taeshawn Adams-Wright, 18, with second-degree murder and second-degree assault over the Dec. 23 shooting that left 19-year-old Johntae Hudson dead, Bloomington police said in a Thursday news release. Two other teenagers, both 17 and not identified by police, were charged with second-degree riot by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

A fourth teenager still being sought by police was charged with second-degree murder, the Star Tribune reported. A nationwide arrest warrant for the 17-year-old has been issued.

Two other suspects arrested following the fatal shooting have not been charged due to that lack of cooperation, Hodges told the Tribune.

Hudson was shot eight times after two groups of young men got into a dispute, police said. Shoppers quickly fled from the hail of bullets and the nation’s biggest shopping center went into lockdown.

He died in the men’s section of Nordstrom despite best efforts by witnesses, security guards and first responders to save him. Police found cartridge casings near Hudson’s body, as well as a .40 caliber gun that “determined to be associated” with Hudson, according to the charges.

Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in a statement the investigation is far from over as police have struggled to get answers from those involved.

“This continues to be an active investigation, and we expect additional arrests and criminal charges associated with this case in the near future. Our detectives continue to work tirelessly on this case,” Hodges said.

“Their job is made more difficult because those involved have been, and continue to be, uncooperative. Despite this, our efforts to lock up everyone responsible for this incident will not cease.”

The Tribune reported it’s unclear if Hudson fired a gun or who fired first.

“It appears he had a gun next to him and it fired twice,” Hodges reportedly said of Hudson, also noting. “We don’t know the sequence yet.”

During the gunfire, a woman’s buttocks was injured from apparent grazing of a bullet, according to the charges, the Tribune reported.

Mall spokesperson Laura Utecht said metal detectors were placed on the mall’s north entrance in October during a testing phase, but were not working during the most recent shooting. Other safety measures have been put into effect.

With Post wires