Shooting at the Mall of America in Minnesota: a 19-year-old died after an altercation



CNN

A 19-year-old man was fatally shot Friday during an altercation at Minnesota’s Mall of America, the largest mall in the United States, police said.

Officers heard gunshots on the first floor of Nordstrom just before 8 p.m. local time. When they entered the department store, they found a man who had been shot multiple times, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said at a Friday night news conference. Police are working to identify the suspect.

Rescue measures were taken but without success, while a spectator who was grazed by a bullet should survive, Hodges said.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said his office was working with local officials to provide support and resources, tweeting that “the violence at MOA last night is absolutely unacceptable.”

Police are expected to provide an update on the investigation on Saturday evening.

The 30-year-old mall, about 10 miles south of downtown Minneapolis, is a popular tourist destination in the Midwest, with tens of millions of visitors each year. The giant shopping complex has more than 500 stores, more than 50 restaurants, dozens of attractions and two hotels, according to its owners.

Friday’s shooting comes about five months after suspects fired shots into a crowded mall store. No injuries were reported in the August incident.

A preliminary investigation into Friday’s incident said there was an altercation between approximately five to nine people inside Nordstrom. Surveillance video from the store showed a man pulling out a gun and shooting the victim, Hodges said.

“We have an incident where if someone decides they want to pull out a gun and shoot someone with complete disrespect for human life, I still don’t know what we can do to stop that,” Hodges said.

A shooting pattern has not yet been determined.

Billboard gospel singer Jovonta Patton was filming an Instagram reel at a Gucci store inside Nordstrom when gunshots rang out in the background.

Patton quickly ran into the store’s back room to hide for about 15 minutes, where about six or seven other people had also taken cover, he told CNN.

Several New York Giants players were also inside the mall at the time of the shooting, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.

The team was staying at a nearby hotel before a game against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis on Saturday. On Friday, Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon told The Associated Press that the players who were at the mall during the shooting had returned to the hotel and everyone had been found.

CNN has contacted the New York Giants for comment.

Team announcer Bob Papa was also inside the mall during the incident.

“Scary here @mallofamerica,” he tweeted on Friday. “Filming in a shopping mall. In confinement at the #TwinCitiesGrill. Two armed men at least one victim. An hour later Dad said, “Safely out of the mall and back to the hotel.” Prayers to the victim.

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