BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Police in Minnesota responded Thursday to a possible shooting at the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis.
Bloomington police confirmed on Twitter that they were working “an active incident” with numerous officers on the scene. They gave no other details.
Mall of America spokesman Dan Jasper confirmed that the mall was locked down but had no other details. The mall later tweeted that the “incident” was “isolated” to one store without providing additional information.
We have secured the scene at the Mall of America and can confirm that shots were fired. This is an isolated incident. The suspect fled the MOA on foot and officers are in the process of interviewing witnesses. At this time we have not located a victim.
— Bloomington Police (@BPD_MN) August 4, 2022
Video posted to social media showed what appeared to be a man shouting as he walked near the complex’s Nike store, with at least three apparent gunshots.
The mall, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the U.S. and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot.
Video posted online showed shoppers fleeing from the amusement park on the giant mall’s ground level, holding their children’s hands and clutching their bags. Still other video showed a pair of police officers, including one with a rifle, moving through the mall, and people walking quickly away from the mall’s large interior atrium area.
One woman tweeted that she was shopping for clothes for high school senior pictures with her 17-year-old daughter when the store manager told them to “move as far back as possible.” The woman said she was in a fitting room with her daughter. Another person posted video of dozens of people said to be gathered in the basement as warnings to “please shelter immediately” repeated over mall speakers.
The Mall of America bans guns on its premises, according to its website. The mall does not have metal detectors and shoppers are not searched upon entry. It was the scene of a shooting on New Year’s Eve, when two people were wounded during an apparent altercation.
Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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