BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Mall of America was on lockdown for almost two hours Thursday after police say “shots were fired” inside the massive shopping complex.
Bloomington police say this was “an isolated incident,” and that the suspect fled the mall, and there are no reported injuries.
Police say the mall began lifting the lockdown at about 5:40 p.m., and it will be closed for the remainder of the evening. WCCO’s Adam Duxter says guests began exiting the mall at about 6:30 p.m.
A video posted to Twitter at 4:36 p.m. appears to show a person shouting while walking into the Nike store. Several gunshots are then heard.
Duxter spoke with a mall guest who heard gunfire.
“We were about to go into the Nike store, and we heard a lot of commotion, and then we just look over and just heard pop pop pop!” said Jodiss Pierre. “You duck .. and then you run, but while you run you look back to make sure your family is OK. That’s what I did because I was with my family, I had to make sure they were good, and then we just ran to the closest exit.”
Andy Paras posted video to Twitter that shows dozens of people fleeing Nickelodeon Universe.
Duxter says at 5:15 p.m., guests were exiting the mall “by the minute” after being cleared by security.
WCCO’s Marielle Mohs spoke with a guest who heard three gunshots before he and his sister fled the mall.
Another guest says he “heard a confrontation” before gunshots rang out.
Check back for more details in this developing story.
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