Tragedy strikes Mall of America on busy shopping day before Christmas Eve
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - Five individuals were arrested on Saturday concerning the shooting death of a 19-year-old man at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The victim, whose identity has not yet been released, was shot during a fight on Friday evening on the first floor of a department store.
The altercation occurred between two groups of five to nine people and was captured on mall security footage. During the fight, one of the individuals pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at the victim. It is unclear what led to the altercation, and the individuals arrested are reportedly uncooperative.
Bloomington Police Department Chief Booker Hodges stated that authorities are confident that at least one arrested individual was the shooter. However, they have not ruled out the possibility of a second gunman.
Chief Hodges expressed condolences for the victim's family, saying,
They're in pain, and rightfully so, and for something that should not have happened."
The mall was placed on lockdown following the shooting, which occurred shortly before 8 p.m. on Friday, and the lockdown was lifted at 10:10 p.m. No other injuries were reported, though a bullet grazed one bystander's coat.
The shooting took place on the busy shopping day before Christmas Eve. Chief Hodges noted that there were 16 officers in the mall at the time of the shooting, including one near the department store where the altercation occurred.
New York Giants players who were in Minnesota to play the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday were also at the mall when the shooting happened. But none of them were hurt.
The Mall of America, which opened in 1992, experimented with metal detectors at some of its entrances earlier in the year. The mall stated at the time that it was testing options "that may allow us to enhance" security systems further.
However, it is unclear if the shooting will prompt the mall to implement additional security measures.
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