BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Police in Minnesota confirm that gunshots were fired at the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis, but say no victim has been found.
Bloomington police say the scene has been secured. They are still searching for a suspect.
Video posted to 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.
The mall, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the U.S. and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Police in Minnesota are responding to a possible shooting at the Mall of America in suburban Minneapolis.
Bloomington police confirmed on Twitter that they were working “an active incident” with numerous officers on the scene. They gave no other details.
Mall of America spokesman Dan Jasper confirmed that the mall was locked down Thursday afternoon but had no other details. The mall later tweeted that the “incident” was “isolated” to one store without providing additional information.
Video posted to 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
The mall, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the U.S. and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot.
Other video posted online showed shoppers fleeing from the amusement park on the giant mall’s ground level, holding their children’s hands and clutching their bags.
Still other video showed a pair of police officers, including one with a rifle, moving through the mall, and people walking quickly away from the mall’s large interior atrium area.
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. It was the scene of a shooting on New Year’s Eve, when two people were wounded during an apparent altercation.
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Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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