Mall of America goes into brief lockdown after shooting, cops hunt suspect
The Mall of America in the United States was placed under brief lockdown after a reported shooting.
The Mall of America confirmed the lockdown on its Twitter account and asked shoppers to remain in “the closest secure location.” Sound of gunfire terrified shoppers on Friday night at the Mall of America, putting the mall under lockdown for about an hour.
Police said they are searching for the suspect after securing the scene, AP reported. Video posted on 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.
According to Bloomington Police, cops and emergency medical services arrived at the spot where the ‘reported shooting’ took place at the mall. The incident comes at a time when malls and shopping centres across the United States see a huge rush of passengers before Christmas.
Guests were asked to exit the property after the Mall of America lifted the lockdown.
“Mall of America is now lifting lockdown. Guests should now exit the property. Mall of America remains closed for the evening. Please stay tuned for an additional statement,” the Mall of America wrote on Twitter.
The mall, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the US and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot.
SHOPPERS HID IN STORES, RETAILERS SHUT SHOPS
Videos on social media showed shoppers hiding in stores and an announcement was made in the mall was made asking people to take shelter. Emergency vehicles were converged in the snowy parking lot outside and police could be seen putting up yellow crime scene tape near the Nordstrom store. Retailers began shutting their doors, asking people to run for safety as armed guards rushed toward Nordstrom.
A woman, who was at the mall with her 16-year-old daughter and her husband, recounted the horror and told the AP, “At first we thought they were just messing around.”
Trent Turner, a salesman at a DSW shoe store one level below the Nike store, said he was near the back when he heard gunshots. “Then I saw everyone stampeding toward the back,” he said.
A woman, who was at the mall with her friends, said, “We were in the Lululemon store and I just saw people running and he was in the dressing room and I started banging on the door to get him to come out and he didn’t have a shirt on so we just ran out of there.”
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.
The mall was placed on lockdown in August after a reported shooting at the suburban Minneapolis shopping complex sent some shoppers running for cover and two people were wounded last New Year’s Eve during an apparent altercation.