The Mall of America was placed on lockdown Thursday evening after police in a Bloomington, Minnesota, shopping center called an “isolated incident” an “isolated incident.” No injuries have been reported.
The mall said in a statement on Thursday night that the shooting took place at around 4:16 pm local time and the lockdown was lifted two hours later. Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said Thursday night that there was an altercation between the two groups near the cash register of a Nike store. One of the groups left, but then returned, and one man fired three shots at the store, Hodges said.
No one appears to have been injured, Hodges said, but the two suspects fled on foot and were at large by Thursday evening. According to Hodges, police responded to a nearby hotel where they believed the suspects may have been there, but did not find them.
Hodges said an officer was near the store at the time of the shooting, and police responded within 30 seconds. Videos posted on social media showed police responding to the scene with rifles as panicked buyers rushed to safety.
The shopping center will remain closed for Thursday evening, both police and the mall said in statements.
Witnesses are described CBS Minnesota Hearing gunshots.
“We were about to go to a Nike store, and we heard a lot of commotion, and then we just look and hear pop, pop, pop,” said Jodis Pierre. “You duck and then you run, but when you run you look back to make sure your family is okay. That’s what I did because I was with my family, I had to make sure that They were good. And then we just ran to the nearest exit.”
“Violence at the Mall of America tonight is unacceptable. These brazen incidents will not be tolerated,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement.
