Springfield man charged with murder in mall shooting

By SCOTT MERZBACH

Staff Writer

Published: 01-30-2023 9:14 PM

HOLYOKE — A Springfield man is being held without bail following his arraignment in Holyoke District Court Monday on charges of murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the shooting death of an innocent bystander inside a Holyoke Mall salon Saturday night, according to the Hampden district attorney’s office.

Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez, 23, was arrested a short time after the 7 p.m. incident inside the Touch of Beauty Hair & Nail Salon after Holyoke and Massachusetts State Police officers responded to emergency calls for an active-shooter event at the mall.

Santana-Rodriguez was still inside the salon and in possession of a firearm at the time of his arrest and was transported to the Holyoke Police Department.

Entering the salon officers discovered the injured man, identified as Trung Tran, 33, of West Springfield, who died at the scene as a result of his injuries. Information supplied to the Hampden district attorney’s office reveals Tran, an employee at the salon, was attending to Santana-Rodriguez and another party when a person, known to Santana-Rodriguez, entered the salon.

A confrontation ensued between Santana-Rodriguez and that person who came into the salon and escalated into gunfire, according to the Hampden County district attorney’s office.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia and Holyoke Police have expressed their sympathies to Tran’s family over the past 24 hours.

The mall was closed following the shooting but reopened Sunday.

The active homicide investigation is being conducted by the Holyoke Police Department, Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden district attorney’s office and the Homicide Unit of the Hampden district attorney’s office.

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Santana-Rodriguez is due back in court Feb. 27.

Staff Writer Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com. ]]>