A bright spirit and infectious smile are how friends and family remembered 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo, a young mother whose life was tragically cut short. On the morning of Saturday, January 25, 2014, the bustling Mall in Columbia, Maryland, became the scene of a violent attack that ended in the deaths of three people, including Brianna.
Brianna was the assistant manager at the Zumiez clothing store, a popular spot for skaters.
That morning, a 19-year-old man named Darion Marcus Aguilar entered the mall around 10:15 a.m. carrying a backpack. He went to the Zumiez store, entered a dressing room, and shortly after, emerged with a shotgun. He then opened fire, fatally shooting Brianna and her 25-year-old coworker, Tyler Johnson. The sudden violence sent terrified shoppers running for cover and hiding throughout the mall.
The first 911 calls reporting gunfire were made at approximately 11:15 a.m. When Howard County Police arrived at the scene, they found the bodies of Brianna, Tyler, and the shooter, Darion Aguilar. Aguilar had taken his own life. Investigators found a significant amount of ammunition and crude explosive devices in Aguilar's possession.
In the wake of the tragedy, investigators worked to understand the motive behind the shooting. Despite the fact that Brianna lived just five blocks from Aguilar in College Park, police found no evidence that they knew each other. Her grandfather also stated that she had no connection to the gunman. The investigation concluded that Aguilar acted alone, and with the suspect deceased, no arrests were made in connection with the murders. The community mourned the senseless loss of two young lives, with a memorial set up for Brianna and Tyler at the mall.
