Apple permanently closes Apple Store in North Carolina without warning following spate of shootings nearby

Apple has permanently closed the Apple Store at Nothlake Mall in North Carolina without warning, with a report from Bloomberg suggesting that a spate of shootings in the nearby area “contributed” to the decision, which saw employees being told of the plan only one day prior to the store being shut.

The company informed the store’s employees on Wednesday that the location would be closing immediately, according to people with knowledge of the matter cited by Bloomberg. The store was open for business Wednesday morning and Apple’s website showed no plans for it to change business hours or close.

According to the report, three recent shootings in the mall likely influenced Apple’s decision to close the store with immediate effect.

Apple had intended to eventually close the location ahead of the grand opening of a new, larger Apple Store planned to open next year, with it believed that the Nothlake Mall location would remain open until the new store’s eventual opening.