Starting Monday, unsupervised minors will not be allowed at the Westfield Montgomery and Westfield Wheaton malls after 3 p.m.
Under the policy, unsupervised minors will be asked to leave the mall if found between 3 p.m. and closing time, or to otherwise “reunite with a supervising adult,” officials said on a page on the Westfield Montgomery website nearly identical to one on the Westfield Wheaton website.
Adults accompanying minors may be required to provide their identification, and may be asked to leave themselves if they do not have an acceptable form of ID. Mall officials said the acceptable forms of ID are state-issued driver’s licenses or ID cards, military identification or passports.
The policy was prompted by disruptive behavior from minors.
“Like many shopping centers across the country, we have experienced an increase in disruptive behavior by a small minority of younger visitors,” Westfield public relations representative Heather Menis told Bethesda Today. “Taking this extra step in our security measures will ensure a pleasant and safe environment for our families and every member of our community, as well as our retail partners.”
The disruptive incidents include a shooting at around 6 p.m. on July 31 at the Westfield Wheaton mall involving a 13-year-old victim and a 17-year-old accused of shooting him.
Diego Rafael Turcios Avalos, who is being charged as an adult, is accused of opening fire on a group of minors that included the 13-year-old, who suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his ankle, the police said in a release at the time.
Mall security apprehended the alleged shooter until the police arrived. The 17-year-old is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault, using a gun to commit a violent felony, carrying a loaded gun and having a gun as a minor.
Mall officials said that multiple violations of the new policy or a refusal to comply could result in being forcibly removed, being banned from the mall in question or in a response from the Montgomery County Police Department on grounds of trespassing.
“The department becomes involved only when an individual needs to be trespassed. Enforcement of the policy remains solely the responsibility of the mall. The department serves as a last resort and remains a partner to the mall when needed, as we always have been,” police officials told The MoCo Show.
Each eligible adult is allowed to accompany up to four minors, and during the policy hours the adults are considered responsible for each minor they are accompanying, mall officials said.
Mall officials said that there will be exemptions for minors who work in the two malls and during “legitimate emergencies,” and that the hours the policy is in place could change for the holidays or at the discretion of mall management.
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