It was a quiet Wednesday afternoon at Southland Mall families shopping for shoes, teens hanging out, and store speakers playing pop songs in the background.
Then, in a matter of seconds, it became a scene of panic and bloodshed. According to charging documents, Tiffany Rose Williams, 42, turned an everyday inconvenience a declined debit card into a near-fatal act of violence that left a 19-year-old stranger fighting for her life.
The victim, Suniya Jenkins, had no connection to Williams. She wasn’t involved in the transaction, the argument, or anything that preceded the attack.
Prosecutors say Jenkins was simply walking by Kids Footlocker when she noticed Williams arguing with a cashier. Curious, Jenkins glanced inside. That brief look, authorities allege, was enough to set Williams off.
Witnesses say Williams began shouting that Jenkins was laughing at her. Jenkins later told investigators she hadn’t spoken a word and was “just trying to understand what was happening.” But before anyone could intervene, Williams pulled a knife from her purse and lunged.
The knife went in four times neck, thigh, stomach, and finally, chest so deep that doctors say the last thrust collapsed one of Jenkins’ lungs. Customers screamed and ran as Jenkins collapsed, bleeding onto the tile floor. Within moments, the cheerful bustle of the mall had transformed into chaos.
Security footage shows Williams exiting the store calmly, the knife still in her hand. Responding officers from the Southfield Police Department intercepted her near the east entrance and arrested her without incident.
She was reportedly quiet, even emotionless, as she was handcuffed. The knife, described as a folding blade with a four-inch edge, was recovered at the scene.
Williams now faces four felony charges, including assault with intent to murder, possession of a dangerous weapon, and carrying a concealed weapon.
At her initial arraignment, prosecutors described her behavior as “calculated, paranoid, and shockingly disproportionate.” She remains in custody pending a November 17 court hearing.
Meanwhile, Jenkins lies in recovery at Beaumont Hospital, her family keeping constant vigil. Doctors say she is expected to survive, though she faces months of rehabilitation.
Her family, deeply shaken, has announced plans to pursue a civil lawsuit against both Williams and the mall, citing “serious concerns about security protocols and weapon screening.”
The attack has reignited broader discussions about mental health crises in public spaces, as well as the ease of carrying concealed weapons into crowded shopping centers. Community members have left flowers near the store entrance, some including notes reading, “We shop here. We should feel safe here.”
As investigators continue piecing together what fueled Williams’ sudden eruption of violence, one fact remains chillingly clear: it all started with a declined card and a misunderstanding.
In less than a minute, one woman’s paranoia turned into a stranger’s trauma and an ordinary afternoon became a headline that Southland Mall will never forget.
