Shoppers were sent running for safety at the Mall of America Thursday after police said shots were fired at the Minnesota mall.
Police responded to an “active incident” on the northwest side of the mall Thursday night, the Bloomington Police Department tweeted, saying at the time that “multiple officers are on scene.”
Within an hour, the police department said officers had secured the scene. A suspect has not been detained and there are no reports of injuries, the police said.
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is on lockdown, August 4, 2022.
Poole via ABC News
Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said during a news conference that shots were fired near the Nike store and that officers were on the scene within 30 seconds.
“After watching the video, we see two groups get into some kind of altercation at the checkout counter of the Nike store,” Hodges said. “One of the groups left, but instead of leaving, they decided to show a complete lack of respect for human life – they decided to shoot a few rounds into a shop full of people.”
The culprits have not yet been found, the chief said.
“This is an isolated incident,” the department said on Twitter. “The suspect fled the MOA on foot and officers are in the process of interviewing witnesses.”
The Mall of America warned via Twitter that it was on lockdown “after a confirmed isolated incident” at one of its tenant spaces.
Footage taken by shoppers showed people sheltering in place, including a large crowd in the basement of the mall.
The block has since been lifted. Shoppers on the second level of the mall were asked to wait for an attendant while everyone else was advised to leave.
The shopping center will be closed until the end of the evening.
The mall is located in Bloomington, a suburb of the Twin Cities.
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