Mall security reported a suspicious male with a gun sitting between Guitar Center and the Target entrance. Sheriff responded quickly and detained the suspect without incident.
From the Grand Junction Police Department:
Law enforcement officers responded to a report of a suspicious individual outside the Mesa Mall on 06/13/24, at approximately 1:05 p.m. The reporting party stated a male, dressed in what appeared to be a bulletproof vest, was sitting on a bench, and loading a handgun outside the Mesa Mall. Law enforcement officers with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, Homeland Security, and the Grand Junction Police Department responded and contacted the male without incident. The male was found to have an Airsoft BB gun in his possession, but never threatened anyone in the area with it. Dorian Choudhary, age 18, was cited and released on a summons for Disorderly Conduct.
The safety of the community is the top priority for the Grand Junction Police Department. Reports of this nature are taken very seriously. The Mesa Mall was put into a shelter-in-place for a short time out of an abundance of caution. The Grand Junction Police Department believes this was an isolated incident and the community was not under active threat at any time. Officers commend the individuals who reported this incident to law enforcement and continue to ask resident to report suspicious behavior. The investigation into this incident remains ongoing and there is no further information available at this time.