Police responded to reports of shots fired inside the iconic shopping center in Minnesota
FILE PHOTO © AP / Jim Mone
At least one person has reportedly been shot inside the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on Friday evening. Shoppers were ordered to seek shelter inside, as multiple police descended on the building, which went into a lockdown for the third time in less than a year.
“Bloomington Police and EMS are on scene of a reported shooting at the Mall Of America. MOA is on lockdown. Please stay out of the area,” police announced in a tweet shortly after 8pm local time.
The mall itself urged the visitors to “please remain in the closest secure location until the lockdown has been lifted,” in a separate tweet. About an hour later, the venue announced that the lockdown was over and that “guests should now exit the property.”
At least one person was shot and killed, according to Fox Minneapolis, but the number of victims has yet to be officially confirmed. Authorities only said that the “shooting scene has been secured” and that police was working with the mall’s security and the “Hennepin County Crime Lab to process the area.”
#MallofAmerica lockdown pic.twitter.com/gUGCjhKMaz
— David Guttenfelder (@dguttenfelder) December 24, 2022
Footage from the scene showed at least half a dozen police, EMS and fire department vehicles near the entrance to the building. Another video captured an announcement via loudspeakers urging those “who are not currently in a secure location” to “seek shelter immediately.”
Shooter at the Mall of America #mallofamerica#lockdown#GunControlpic.twitter.com/dabndHmRf5
— Jonah Nigh (@nighjonah) December 24, 2022
The lockdown happened during a busy shopping season just two days before Christmas, and marked the third such incident over the past year. Two people were injured in a shooting at the largest US mall last New Year’s Eve, while a shooting in August caused no injuries, but also triggered panic and a brief lockdown.
