Constance Hages Killed, 6 Injured in Fairfield Spirit Halloween Shooting

Pregnant Mother of Four Constance Hages Killed When Gunfire Erupted Inside a Crowded Fairfield Spirit Halloween Store

FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA (November 5, 2026) – A 31-year-old mother of four identified as Constance Hages was killed, and six other people were injured, in a shooting at the Spirit Halloween store inside Solano Town Center in Fairfield.

Solano County officials are saying that the shooting occurred around 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Constance Hages was inside the store as shoppers picked out last-minute costumes, according to KTLA.

Police said a suspect walked into the store, produced a firearm, and fired multiple rounds, sending shoppers scrambling for the exits. The suspect fled just as officers arrived, and first responders rushed to treat the wounded.

Constance Hages died at the scene, and her family told investigators she was pregnant, according to the Associated Press. Three males ages 16, 19, and 32 were hospitalized in critical condition, a 23-year-old man was in critical but stable condition, and two men ages 19 and 43 were treated and released.

A 17-year-old was arrested Monday in Suisun City on murder and attempted murder charges, and prosecutors said he will be charged as an adult. Police said he had been convicted in a 2025 shooting at an occupied car in the Fairfield High School parking lot, KQED reported.

The FBI’s Sacramento office assisted with the investigation, and Solano Town Center canceled its planned trick-or-treating event the following day.

Gunfire has been reported at Solano Town Center before. In 2016, police investigated a report that a masked man fired at a group in the food court, and CBS later reported a second shooting in a month at the mall.

Fairfield’s police chief also tied this attack to the June shooting that killed 18-year-old Jamario Baker after a graduation ceremony. Those incidents raise questions about what security staffing and camera monitoring the mall and its tenants had in place that night.

Families may also ask how a teen with a recent shooting conviction was supervised after his release from juvenile hall.

Liability for Fairfield Shopping Center Shooting

Under California Civil Code section 1714, everyone is responsible for injuries caused by a lack of ordinary care in managing their property. For shopping centers and retailers, that duty includes reasonable steps to protect visitors from foreseeable criminal acts by third parties. Courts measure how much security is required by how foreseeable the danger was, often looking to prior similar incidents. The person who fires a weapon is directly responsible, but property owners, tenants, and security contractors can share responsibility when their failures made an attack easier. Investigators usually focus on several issues:

• Foreseeability: Records of earlier shootings, threats, or police calls can show owners knew or should have known about the risk.
• Security staffing: Guard levels during holidays and evening hours are compared against the crowds a property expects.
• Camera monitoring: Cameras matter most when someone is watching and can alert security or police in real time.
• Emergency planning: Stores and malls should train employees on lockdowns, evacuation routes, and calling for help.
• Shared control: Responsibility may be split between a mall owner controlling common areas and a tenant controlling its store.

California’s highest court has addressed when a commercial property owner must do more to prevent violent crime. In Ann M. v. Pacific Plaza Shopping Center (Cal. 1993), an employee of a photo store in a San Diego strip mall was attacked inside the store and sued the shopping center for failing to provide security patrols. The California Supreme Court held that commercial landlords must take reasonable steps to secure common areas against foreseeable criminal acts, but that costly measures like hiring guards require a heightened degree of foreseeability, usually shown through prior similar incidents. Because the shopping center had no record of earlier violent crimes, the court found it was not required to hire guards in that case. The decision remains the starting point for claims that a shopping center’s security fell short, making a property’s crime history a central question.

Security and Safety at Busy Retail Destinations

Retail settings are among the most common places for mass violence in the United States. The FBI identified 34 active shooter incidents in 2025 that left 51 people dead and 115 wounded, and commerce locations such as stores, restaurants, and malls accounted for 14 of them. Holiday shopping draws large crowds into enclosed spaces where exits can be limited and confusion spreads quickly. Shoppers, employees, and property managers can all take steps that reduce risk and improve the response when violence breaks out:

• Know exits: Noting the nearest exit, including back-of-store doors, can save critical seconds.
• Report threats: Telling security or police about threats, fights, or anyone displaying a weapon allows early intervention.
• Shelter safely: If escape is impossible, locking or barricading a back room and silencing phones can protect people until police arrive.
• Bleeding control: Firm pressure on a wound until paramedics arrive can help keep an injured person alive.
• Employee training: Workers who practice lockdown plans can guide customers to safety.

Shootings in public places leave lasting harm on survivors, witnesses, and entire communities. Businesses that invite large crowds have a responsibility to plan for foreseeable dangers and respond quickly to warning signs. Survivors and the families of those killed have the right to learn what safety measures were in place and whether anyone failed to act on known risks. They may also pursue accountability against those whose negligence contributed to the violence.

Investigating Shootings in Fairfield

We at Feher Law extend our deepest condolences to the family of Constance Hages. We hope this tragedy leads to full accountability and stronger safety measures that protect shoppers and workers. This shooting raises serious safety concerns about crowded retail spaces during the holiday season. What security measures were in place at Solano Town Center on one of the busiest shopping nights of the year?

Have you or a loved one been affected by a shooting at a shopping center or store in Fairfield or elsewhere in Solano County? Families who lose someone to violence in a public place are entitled to a complete and honest account of how it happened. The video, security logs, and staffing records that tell that story usually belong to property owners and retailers, not to the families who need them. Our team of safety advocates and accident investigators can help you understand what happened, from mall camera footage to security staffing records and reports of earlier incidents at the property. For answers to legal questions or a free, independent investigation, our team is available anytime at (424) 433-4412.