Holyoke’s mayor calls for change following deadly mall shooting

HOLYOKE, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The mayor of Holyoke is offering his condolences to the family of the innocent bystander shot and killed at the Holyoke Mall on Saturday and he is calling for change.

“We had an innocent bystander that paid the ultimate price,” said Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia.

Garcia shared his outrage over the events that unfolded Saturday night at the Holyoke Mall. An innocent bystander, identified as Trung ‘Michael’ Tran was shot and killed, allegedly by Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez at the Touch of Beauty Nail and Hair Salon. Tran was giving a pedicure to Santana-Rodriguez’s girlfriend at the time of the shooting.

Garcia acknowledged the tragedy Tran’s family now has to face.

“My heart breaks and my sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers that knew Michael. From what I hear, it sounds like he was one-of-a-kind gentleman,” Garcia added.

Western Mass News confirmed with the salon that Tran has worked there for multiple years. A GoFundMe has been started for his family, which stated he leaves behind a wife and son. It has raised thousands of dollars in less than a day.

The Holyoke Mall at Ingleside released a statement regarding Tran’s death which read, in part:

“On January 28, we lost a father, husband, friend, and member of our Holyoke Mall community. Few words can express the sadness in our hearts, but many can describe Michael’s impact on his community. He was kind, hardworking, and always made sure, not only his customers, but his coworkers were doing well.”

Garcia said something needs to be done by legislators to prevent gun violence like this.

“It always came down to gun laws in America and what our representatives should be doing to help close that gap, so these incidents don’t take place,” Garcia noted.

Santana-Rodriguez pleaded not guilty Monday at his arraignment and is being held without the right to bail.

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