Two people were struck by a single bullet fired at the Mall of America on New Year’s Eve.
The incident was not a “mass shooter” situation, nor an act of terror. Rather, it evolved from a specific dispute between two men, authorities say. The Mall of America is a massive shopping complex located in Bloomington, Minnesota, just south of Minneapolis.
Bloomington police officers in the mall responded to the shooting in less than one minute after hearing a single round fired. They discovered an individual who was apparently hit in the leg, Deputy Chief Kim Clausen explained, just hours after the event.
Bloomington Police tell us one person was shot and a bystander was grazed by the bullet as well. The suspect fled the scene.
LATEST: https://t.co/FvWiR2OURT pic.twitter.com/1I6JjDQ38m
— Callan Gray (@CallanGrayNews) January 1, 2022
The second man shot was not badly injured. Clausen says he seems to have suffered only a graze wound.
Footage circulated on social media appears to show the more seriously injured victim receiving first aid in the mall before paramedics wheel him away.
A witness was recorded describing what he saw just after the gunshot rang out:
Just talked to a man who was inside @mallofamerica when the shooting happened. He described hearing a bang while getting his haircut.@KSTP pic.twitter.com/3rSEYpkGT4
— Callan Gray (@CallanGrayNews) December 31, 2021
Many people who were inside the mall at the time of the event uploaded footage of shoppers taking cover as a notice to “seek shelter immediately” was played over the mall’s public announcement system.
Lockdown notice played over PA system: pic.twitter.com/czQ3BnMUmL
— Kyle Hooten (@KyleHooten2) December 31, 2021
This was not the only instance of New Year’s Eve violence in the Twin Cities area. Minneapolis police say they responded to a shooting that left a 15-year-old dead, a 16-year-old injured and a suspect on the run around 4:30 pm in the area of 2400 Dupont Ave N.
By 12:30 am, police heard so much gunfire in North Minneapolis that it was impossible to respond to it all, per scanner watchdog Crime Watch Minneapolis.
Police in north #Mpls say they hear gunshots going off but they can't tell where they're coming from because there are so many going off.
00:34— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) January 1, 2022
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
