A shooting at the Mall of America, a shopping center located in Bloomington, Minnesota, just before 8:00 p.m. Friday left one person dead, police said.
One victim, who was described as a 19-year-old African-American male, was directly struck and died at the scene, while another’s clothing was grazed by a bullet during a shooting at the mall’s Nordstrom Rack, Fox Minneapolis reported.
The shooting escalated from an altercation between two groups of young men, the Bloomington Police Department said.
“Whoever did this, we’re going to get him. And whoever’s helping him, we’re going to get you, too,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said during a news conference at the mall two hours after the shooting. “This is just stupid, stupid, stupid.”
CALIFORNIA BODY CAM VIDEO SHOWS SUSPECT SHOOTING OFFICER BEFORE BEING DEAD
“If someone is going to completely disrespect humanity, I don’t know if we can stop it,” Hodges added.
The police chief also asked the suspect or suspects responsible for the shooting to turn themselves in.
The individual whose clothing was grazed by a bullet, described simply as a female, was not injured, FOX 9’s Karen Scullin reported.
A heavy police presence responded to initial reports of a shooting, and the mall was subsequently closed. This protocol has since been lifted, authorities said.
FBI CANNOT DETERMINE REASON FOR SHOOTING AT JULY INDIANA SHOPPING MALL FRUSTRATED BY MAN LEGALLY CARRYING A GUN
“Mall of America is now lifting the lockdown. Guests must now exit the property. Mall of America remains closed overnight,” read a tweet from the mall’s official Twitter account.
Bloomington police and EMS personnel remained on the scene for several hours, mostly stationed outside the Nordstrom Rack, photos and video at the scene showed.
Police continue to advise people to stay away from the area.
Shoppers walk through the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, on Wednesday, June 10, 2020. The mall was closed Friday night amid reports of a shooting.
The shooting happened two days before Christmas in the middle of a busy shopping season.
There were 16 police or security personnel at the mall at the time of the shooting, including an officer at a store adjacent to where the shooting occurred, Scullin reported.
Fox News Digital has contacted authorities.
Friday’s shooting comes months after another shooting at the Mall of America in August 2022. Police also responded to another shooting at the same mall in December 2021.
The suspects in the two previous shootings were young adults, between the ages of 18 and 23.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The story is unfolding. Please check for updates.
