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(WJBK) - A young man is facing domestic terror charges for allegedly taking aim against Lakeside Mall.
Police got a tip about a threat against the mall and say that no one was ever in jeopardy because every law enforcement agency on this case, worked together.
Tyler Tindell, 20, is facing stiff charges after allegedly planning a mass shooting at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights Friday.
Tindell's neighbors in Shelby Township were stunned.
"It's just terrifying that someone who literally lives a house down from me could be capable of something like that," said one neighbor.
The plot never materialized.
Shelby township police received tips that Tindell sent text messages planning a mass shooting and they immediately began working with Sterling Heights police and Macomb County's FBI's violent crime taskforce.
Sterling Heights police beefed up security at Lakeside, Shelby Township police and taskforce members located Tindell and took him into custody that same day.
Investigators found a gun inside his house.
"It's a common thing now," said shopper Sega Bill. "It's crazy, ridiculous. It's the era we're in, though."
FOX 2 talked with shoppers at Lakeside Mall.
"It's a scary world, I guess," said Sue Salyer. "But we still have to get out and do things."
Tindell was charged with making a terrorist threat or false report of terrorism Monday - that's a felony. He joins a long list of people who allegedly made threats against schools and other soft targets in recent weeks.
"You can't take any of these and not take them serious," said Ned Timmons, LSS Consulting. "You've gotta follow them up to the max, you gotta hunt these guys down. You got to use all the forces out there."
Timmons, a former FBI agent and president of lSS Consulting, says malls, schools even churches would do well to step up security.
He says the general public has a role to play as well.
"We've got to appeal to citizens to come forward when they see something on social media, say something and help law enforcement," he said.
And that's what appeared to have happened in this case. Tindell is locked up on a $150,000 bond. If convicted on that charge of making a terrorist threat, he could spend 20 years behind bars.