Gunman opens fire at Connecticut mall, injures 5 people in mass shooting

A shooting at the Brass Mill Center mall in Waterbury, Connecticut, left five adults injured. The incident began around 4:40 p.m. following a dispute that escalated when a man in his 20s, armed with a semi-automatic pistol, opened fire. Authorities believe the shooting was targeted, not random, and a person of interest has been taken into custody. All victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to local hospitals for treatment. The mall was placed on lockdown during the incident, and Governor Ned Lamont expressed condolences while confirming state police assistance in the ongoing investigation.

NY Post

Trump extends EU trade talks deadline amid 50% tariff threat

President Trump has extended the deadline for EU-US tariff negotiations to July 9, delaying a potential 50% import tax hike after a conciliatory call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Though tensions remain, both sides expressed a desire to reach a fair deal and avoid further escalation. Meanwhile, major retailers like Nike, Adidas, and Shein are already raising prices and adjusting supply chains in response to the evolving tariff landscape, signaling wider cost impacts across global retail.

Retail Gazette

Alleviating the Financial and Operational Impacts of ORC

Organized retail crime (ORC) has evolved into a multibillion-dollar crisis, impacting not just profitability but also employee safety, customer trust, and overall retail operations. ORC contributes significantly to shrink, disrupts supply chains, increases operational costs, and drives employee turnover due to rising workplace violence. To combat its growing threat, retailers must adopt proactive, integrated strategies that align with broader business goals, leverage advanced technology, and foster partnerships across law enforcement, legislation, and industry peers.

TotalRetail

Do More With Your Store Security Systems

With millions of retail transactions taking place daily, strong security practices are essential to daily operations. A recent industry discussion emphasized the importance of proactive safety strategies, including reinforcing age-verification procedures and restructuring training to reduce compliance risks. Advancements in cloud-based video systems are also transforming traditional surveillance into integrated tools that pair footage with transaction data, helping retailers respond to incidents faster and identify trends. These innovations are not only protecting people and assets—they’re also improving efficiency and supporting smarter decision-making across the store.

NACS

$2M Heist Exposes Retail Security Gap: Are You Next?

Thieves carried out a calculated burglary at a Simi Valley jewelry store, stealing over $2 million in cash and merchandise after cutting through the roof of an adjacent candy shop and tunneling through concrete and a secure safe. The break-in, which lasted roughly three hours, bypassed the alarm system entirely—highlighting a significant vulnerability in traditional retail security setups. The highly coordinated nature of the crime serves as a stark warning to retailers: professional crews are targeting high-value locations with precision tactics that can evade standard protections.

ABC News

Percentage of corporate executives who say they

feel comfortable letting AI make decisions on their behalf.

Source: SAP (Newtown Square, Pa.)

Shoppers Want To Feel Safer In Stores—And They Think Technology Can Help

Retailers are caught between keeping stores secure and providing a seamless shopping experience—but new data shows technology can help accomplish both.

A national survey found nearly half of consumers support using tools like license plate readers (LPR) and video surveillance to combat organized retail crime and shoplifting, which many see as serious threats. Unlike locking up merchandise—which frustrates shoppers and often leads to lost sales—security tech like LPRs and cameras not only deter crime but also make customers feel safer.

Forbes

Retailers, Are You Ready for the Next Disruption? How to Adapt and Thrive

Escalating trade conflicts, labor shortages, bad weather events, and shifting regulations are putting increased pressure on retail supply chains, especially logistics operations.

Uncertainty is inevitable in this industry. For brands that aren’t prepared, it can mean missed deliveries, lost revenue, and frustrated customers.

However, for brands that rethink their logistics strategy, these challenges become opportunities to build resilience, improve efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition. That’s where adaptive logistics comes in — designed to mold and adjust to sudden changes and challenges.

TotalRetail

Update: Cal/OSHA Releases Revised Workplace Violence Prevention Regulation, Strikes Prohibition on Confronting Shoplifters

Seyfarth

Monitor Everything, Everywhere

Quickly respond to security events with video data analytics that flag suspicious situations in real time.

March Networks’ AI Series Cameras deliver unmatched precision and reliability, redefining the standard for accuracy in threat identification, where false positives are effectively eliminated.

These smart cameras offer built-in video analytics like intrusion and loitering detection, line crossing, unattended or missing object detection, face detection, and crowd detection, ensuring peace of mind and security across all aspects of your operation.

Mobile push notifications and real-time alerts powered by March Networks Smart Rules and the Command Mobile Plus app ensure that video surveillance information can be seen by authorized personnel from anywhere, anytime.

How experts navigate retail’s key threats

Retailers today face a dynamic landscape of increasing threats and areas of loss that can significantly impact their operations, brand reputation and profitability.

Recognizing that this broad scope of risks, threats and loss can transcend across the physical, cyber and digital realms, retailers today must collaborate with peers — within their department, cross-functionally within their organization and throughout the industry for a wider perspective.

Asset protection professionals continue to focus on rising theft due to shoplifting and organized retail crime. 

NRF

Video: Kidnapping arrest led to large police presence at local Walmart

A large police presence at the West Columbia Walmart on May 26 stemmed from the arrest of 25-year-old Zion Creech, who is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman he met at the store, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies say Creech took the woman to his place of work, where he assaulted and strangled her to the point of unconsciousness.

He was taken into custody at the Walmart and now faces charges of kidnapping, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

Creech is currently being held without bond.

WIS 10 News

What Impact Will Trump 2.0 Have on Workplace Safety?

Journalists, no matter what you might think or might have heard, really don’t have all the answers… but we sure have a lot of questions. We find out what’s going on out there in the real world, and we ask people in the know why it’s happening, and then—especially for those of us in the business media—we ask what it all means for our readers.

Lately, there has been a LOT of news about the Trump administration’s regulatory (or should that be deregulatory?) actions as they affect workplace safety. Of course, all news is subject to interpretation, depending on the agendas of the media sources reporting it, and it’s not always clear as to whether a specific action will benefit or hurt the promotion of occupational health and safety… or maybe it won’t have any impact at all, which is another distinct possibility.

EHS Today

Isolated Events to Actionable Insights: Maximizing the Full Potential of the Purchek® Solution

Today’s retail environment demands more than theft prevention—it demands actionable intelligence. Gatekeeper Systems' Purchek® solution transforms pushout theft events into strategic insights, helping retailers prevent losses before they happen. Through high-definition video, managed services, and integrations like FaceFirst face matching, Purchek® turns isolated incidents into powerful data.

Retailers benefit from reduced shrink, safer stores, and smarter operations, all supported by a subscription model that ensures continuous updates and evolving protection.

Luigi Mangione and the Making of a ‘Terrorist’

Law Fare Media

Fix retail shrink at the source: How smarter returns management can instantly improve cash flow

The impact of retail returns on profitability continues to pose a challenge for retailers. In 2024 alone, consumers returned $685 billion worth of products —13.21% of total retail sales—with $103 billion in lost revenue tied directly to return and claims fraud in 2024.

While returns may be viewed as a source of margin leak, they are also a cornerstone of the retail experience, where customer experience can be enhanced, losses can be minimized, and long-term revenue can be preserved if executed seamlessly.

Retail Dive