By KENNEDY GRIFFIN

(Holyoke, MA) The suspect in Saturday’s Holyoke Mall shooting appeared in court today. 23 year-old Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez of Springfield has been identified as the suspect and pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder and assault and battery with a lethal weapon.

Santana-Rodriguez is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on February 27th.

A shooting occurred Saturday evening at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside. According to the Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, the Holyoke Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at the Holyoke Mall at 6:59 p.m. When units arrived, a male victim was discovered and the suspect was immediately taken into custody, with no further threat to to public safety.

The male victim was reportedly an “innocent bystander” and passed away. The confrontation was between the suspect and another person; and the Holyoke Police Department with the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden DA’s Office are conducting a homicide investigation.