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An outburst of gunfire prompted a brief lockdown Thursday afternoon in Minneapolis’s Mall of America.
An altercation started inside a Nike store when two groups started arguing, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in an evening press conference, adding that one group was exiting the store when one person turned around and fired three shots at the other group. No one appears to have been injured in the shooting, Hodges said.
Police said the suspects fled the scene. No arrests have been reported as of press time.
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LIGHTNING STRIKES NEAR WHITE HOUSE, FOUR IN CRITICAL CONDITION
The mall will reopen Friday with increased security, Dan Jasper, Mall of America’s vice president of communications, said in the press conference. Guns are banned from the mall, though it does not have metal detectors, and shoppers are not searched upon entry, according to its website.
Multiple officers reported to the scene at the country’s largest mall, and an investigation into the shooting is underway. NASCAR’s Kyle Busch and his family were at the mall earlier in the day, according to posts by his wife, Samantha. They are all OK, she said.
“If you are seeing the news about the [Mall of America], we got out and are safe,” Busch’s wife shared on her Instagram story. “Praying others inside are too.”
Videos from the mall show people running when the gunshots ring out.
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A lockdown was instituted but has since been lifted, though the mall has been encouraging people stuck on a higher floor to wait for an escort by mall personnel. The mall will be closed for the rest of the evening, police said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Gov. Tim Walz (D) responded to the shooting, vowing to cut down on the rising crime rates in the Twin Cities.
“Tonight’s violence at the Mall of America is unacceptable. These brazen incidents will not be tolerated. State resources are on the scene, we have offered our full support, and we will maintain close communication with Bloomington police to apprehend those responsible,” Walz said in a tweet. “We are committed to maintaining an unprecedented state law enforcement presence in the Twin Cities until we put a stop to this rise in crime.”
