Suniya Jenkins — only 19 — says she was walking through Southland Mall in Taylor when an argument near the Kids Footlocker register suddenly turned violent. What started, by all accounts, as a tense moment over a declined card exploded into a life-changing attack that left her with multiple stab wounds and a punctured lung.
She told reporters from her hospital bed exactly how it felt: confusion first, then shock. “To start, I was stabbed four times and I have a punctured lung right now,” Jenkins said, her voice steady but raw. She explained that she didn’t even realize she’d been cut until after the scuffle — it wasn’t until she felt the pain and saw the blood that the reality sank in.
According to witnesses and the local coverage, the confrontation began when a woman’s card was declined at the register. Jenkins says she looked inside the store and was snapped at; the situation escalated quickly when the other woman allegedly threatened to shoot her, then pulled a kitchen knife instead. Jenkins says the attacker stabbed her twice in the neck, once in the stomach and once in the thigh. That suddenness — a public place, daylight, kids around — is what’s haunted people who’ve heard the story.
Doctors treated Jenkins at a local hospital, and she’s now talking about pressing charges — not only out of anger, but out of principle. “I would love to press charges. I am going to press charges,” she said, while also admitting that the thought of the suspect being taken from her children saddens her. That conflicted compassion paints a human picture behind the headlines: a young woman who wants justice but still feels empathy.
Taylor police arrested a 40-year-old woman at the scene; reports say she had children with her when she was taken into custody. Authorities told reporters that charges are expected, and the mall, store staff and shoppers are cooperating with investigators as they sort out witness statements and surveillance footage. For now, the case remains open and the community is watching for what the prosecutor will file.
People who shop at Southland Mall said they were shaken by how quickly a routine trip for sneakers turned into a crime scene. Social feeds filled fast with shock and sympathy — mostly for Suniya and her family — and with questions about mall safety and how a personal dispute became a public emergency. The footage and interviews making the rounds show a young woman who’s recovering physically and trying to process emotionally.
Through everything, Jenkins’ voice comes across as clear and resilient. She speaks about her injuries and the unfairness of what happened, but also about not wanting to see a mother separated from her children if it can be avoided. That complicated mix of strength, vulnerability and moral concern is why so many readers are finding themselves rooting for her recovery — not just to heal, but to get answers and closure.
As the investigation continues, prosecutors will weigh the evidence gathered at the mall and decide on formal charges. In the meantime, Suniya Jenkins is focused on healing and on making sure other shoppers know this can happen anywhere — and that when it does, the people affected deserve not only medical care but a fair legal process. The next few weeks should bring clarity on charges and on the path toward what she calls “justice with compassion.”
