LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — From the looks of Regal Cinema on a calm afternoon in Hazle Township, you would never guess it was the site of tragedy Saturday night when police say a man came into the lobby arcade and shot 19-year-old Luis Manuel Luna.
Luna later died from his injuries.
"From one of the fathers whose daughter actually works there, and said when this took place, she was just in the kitchen, and she just locked the door in the kitchen, that's how scared she was," said Rocco Arruzzo, Laurel Mall Manager.
Troopers believe the shooting was a targeted incident and that there is no threat to the public now, but as patrons return to the movie theatre and the mall nearby, they are still in shock from what happened.
"It was very scary, and it wasn't like this when I was growing up. I'm sure we had shootings, too but not like today," said Anthony Cerasoli, Berwick.
Just last week, D'Jesus Jewelers inside the mall was robbed.
Anthony Cerasoli from Berwick says he's been going to the Laurel Mall since he was a kid and says it's always been a safe place to go.
"But you always have to be careful. This could happen anywhere else in the United States. You just got to be careful and have security tied up," said Cerasoli.
With these events taking place over the span of four days, efforts are being made to make the mall safer for both cashiers and customers.
Mall manager Rocco Arruzzo says the Laurel Mall is making big investments to increase security across the board.
"We're going to be adding on to our security and whatever procedures are needed to do to add on. Whether that's more officers or what kind of officers we're going to have," said Arruzzo.
This includes working with state police to host active shooter drills for employees and updating surveillance cameras.
"We are beefing up the security, we will add security, and we have the Pennsylvania State Police, which is just a half mile down the road," said Arruzzo.
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