Western Hills Mall struggles to revive because several shootings

FAIRFIELD, Ala. —

The Western Hills Mall has seen its share of shootings over the years. The most recent one was Sunday night at the food court. Darin Hill, an innocent bystander, died.

"How can you tell somebody has a gun or what their intentions are? It's been very, very difficult. It puts the city in a bad light,” Eddie Penny, Fairfield mayor, said.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says a group of people exchanged words, and then gunfire erupted. These shootings are making it more difficult for Penny, who wants to see the mall come back to life and replenish the city's economy.

“Every time this occurs, generally three to four stores move out. That may be the case now. I'll have to deal with the outcry from the community who wants to close it. That's a wide range of conversations we'll have to look at right now about the best use of it,” Penny said.

Penny told WVTM 13 he spoke with the mall owners a day after the shooting, who reassured him that they will work together to make sure the mall is safer, which includes the additional private security Penny says patrol the mall.

Penny added the mall owners are struggling to attract major stores to the mall that will complement the 20-plus businesses already inside.

"I've been up there on different occasions. You can see security. They actually have a desk sitting in the middle of the mall. I'm not sure if they have cameras there or not, but I do know you can often see one or two of them there,” Penny said.

Penny said while some citizens want Western Hills Mall to close, the city cannot leave a building empty without making a plan for it.

“One of the major problems we have in the city is blight within the city that has been extremely difficult to eradicate. We don't want to create another bad situation there,” Penny said.

A second man was also shot during the incident. He survived his injuries. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has not arrested anyone yet, and because of that, it is asking anyone with information to come forward.

Since 2018, there have been at least three other shootings at the Western Hills Mall. That very year, longtime mall manager Anthony Alberigi was killed in a shootout between two men. Both suspects were charged with capital murder.

Two years later, a shooting in the mall's parking lot left one man dead.

Then a similar incident took place in 2023 when a 16 year old boy was gunned down just outside the mall. According to the sheriff's office, three men wearing masks approached Kentrel Miller, before firing shots at him, and driving away.