Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 2/7/2023
HOLYOKE – The suspect in a deadly shooting at the Holyoke Mall on Jan. 28 has been arrested and identified as a 23-year-old Springfield resident.
Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez pled not guilty to charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and he is being held without bail. Santana Rodriguez is accused of shooting an innocent bystander after an altercation with another person inside of the Touch of Beauty Hair and Nail Salon inside the mall.
According to the Hampden Country District Attorney’s (DA’s) office the victim was identified as 33-year-old Trung Tran of West Springfield. The victim is believed to have been helping Santana-Rodriguez when another person walked into the salon. A confrontation between Santana-Rodriguez and that person began and quickly escalated into a shooting that struck Tran, who died at the scene according to the DA’s office.
“The victim was an innocent bystander to a confrontation between two other people,” the DA’s office said in a release.
Holyoke Police and State Police officers arrived to the scene of the crime after reports of shots fired inside the mall. According to the DA’s office, upon entering the salon officers encountered the subject who was taken into custody without incident, and in possession of a firearm.
Entering the salon, officers also discovered the victim suffering from the gunshot wound before he ultimately died on scene as a result of his injuries. Santana-Rodriguez was arraigned in Holyoke District Court Jan. 30 and is currently being held without bail. He is set to appear in court again on Feb. 27.
Owners of the Holyoke Mall Pyramid Management Group released a statement following the incident on Jan. 28.
“We do not condone violence of any kind in our community. We are actively cooperating with law enforcement in the investigation of this incident and understand that the suspect was immediately taken into custody and that there is no ongoing public safety threat as it relates to this incident. Our thoughts this evening remain with the victim and their family during this difficult time.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up by people close to Tran to raise money for funeral expenses with a goal of $20,000. The donation had collected and already met its goal, having raised over $25,000 as of print.
“Unfortunately, this weekend, we lost not only our coworker, but our friend, someone’s father and someone’s husband. Trung Tran 33 (known as Michael) has passed away due to unforeseen circumstances. Anyone who is willing to donate please do so. This has been very hard on all of us. Trung (Michael) was a hardworking, lovely employee, who always made sure not only his customers, but his coworkers were OK,” the GoFundMe post reads.
If interested in donating the GoFundMe for Tran’s funeral expenses can be found online at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/v2f4v-raise-money-for-his-funeral?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined.