A man broke into the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota – one of the largest shopping malls in the US – and began shooting in the air, causing stampedes of shoppers who tried to take refuge. The stressful moment was released through various videos of users on social networks.
The footage shows what appeared to be a middle-aged man walking into a Nike store screaming and firing three shots. Consequently, the people present there flee the place.
Still another footage showed a couple of police officers, including one with a rifle, moving through the mall, and citizens quickly moving away from the building’s large interior atrium. Trent Turner, a DSW shoe store salesman, said he was near the back when he heard gunshots.
“Then I saw everyone stampeding to the back,” he recounted. Along those lines, a woman tweeted that she was shopping for clothes with her 17-year-old daughter when the store manager asked them to take shelter in the back of the store as soon as possible to “safeguard.”
In the last few hours, a final video emerged showing dozens of customers gathered in the basement of the mall while repeated warnings are heard over the loudspeakers: “Attention: those who are not currently in a safe place, seek shelter immediately.” .
In the midst of the chaos, the largest shopping center in the United States decided to close momentarily after the police already warned about the presence of an “active incident”. It was not until hours later, and after the uniformed officers gave the go-ahead, that they reopened it.
“Mall of America is lifting the lockdown. People on level 2 are asked to wait for an escort from the mall staff. All others must leave the property. The north entrance is closed at this time and the mall will remain closed at night,” she tweeted.
According to the local police, no victims were reported nor should they have lamented. It was also not possible to find the protagonist of the shooting, who escaped. Authorities continue their search.
The Mall of America prohibits weapons on its premises, according to its website. However, it does not have metal detectors and buyers are not searched upon entering. In December 2021, it was also the scene of a shooting when two people were injured as a result of the altercation.