Gunfire sparked panic at the country’s largest shopping mall, the “Mall of America,” near Minneapolis (north) on Thursday, before police announced the incident was over.
Police, who cordoned off the site, announced in the evening that the situation had returned to normal, though the shopping center remained closed till evening.
“This was an isolated incident,” tweeted police in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, adding that the suspect “fled” the scene on foot and that “no victims (have been found)” at this stage.
The circumstances under which the shooting took place is not yet known.
Images circulating on social media, which could not be immediately authenticated, showed families running out of the massive shopping complex, which has fewer than 500 stores.
Please remain in a safe place until security measures are lifted,’ the mall management tweeted.
A video posted on Twitter shows a man screaming into a Nike store. Soon several shots rang out.
AFP
Another video shows panicked families carrying children in pushchairs or dragging them by the hand, as guards patrol the scene, their weapons drawn.
We hear a message broadcast over the loudspeakers: “Be careful, if you are not yet in a safe place, take shelter immediately”.
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