A police officer carrying a rifle exits the Mall of America following a shooting. Photo / AP
Two people were shot and wounded Friday after an apparent altercation at the Mall of America, sending New Year's Eve shoppers scrambling for safety and placing the Minneapolis mall on temporary lockdown, authorities said.
One man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during the shooting that happened about 4.30pm
on the third floor of the mall and another person was grazed, police said. Shoppers ran for cover and the mall was evacuated until the lockdown ended about 45 minutes later, a mall official said.
Deputy Bloomington Police Chief Kim Clauson said police and mall security arrived within a minute of shooting. The man shot in the leg was taken to a hospital, and a second victim was treated at the scene and released. Their injuries were considered non-life-threatening.
No arrests have been made and the suspect is believed to have fled the mall, police said. Clauson said the shooting did not appear to be random.
"It does appear there was an altercation between two males before the shot was fired," Clauson said.
