Understanding The February Stabbing Incident At Walden Galleria

Even though we're currently living in the safest time in human history, and communities from Clarence, New York, to Coachella, California, are seeing record decreases in crime across all categories, we still have to deal with crime and violence from time to time. From robberies and burglaries to shootings and stabbings, it seems that there continues to be an element of crime and violence that exists in America.

While our communities are mostly safe, every once in a while an incident happens that reminds us there is more work to do in our neighborhoods and public spaces.

A reminder of what happened on Friday, February 13, 2026, at the region's largest mall, as a pretty large fight turned into what's alleged to be a violent stabbing incident that led to police closing down the shopping center and forcing all patrons to exit the property.

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According to reports from WIVB-TV and social media posts from Cheektowaga Scanner, a fight near Starbucks and JCPenney in the Walden Galleria between several women led to at least three stabbing victims and two women being arrested by the Cheektowaga Police Department.

The two women who were arrested, Lakeya Richerson, age 22, and Joshalyn Paul, age 21, were taken to jail on charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The three women who were stabbed, whose names have not yet been released, were taken by ambulance to the Erie County Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.

After the fight ended, officials from the Cheektowaga Police Department and Pyramid Companies, the Walden Galleria property management company, asked that other stores, restaurants, and retail outlets that had no involvement with the incident shut down for the night.