Chaos erupted at the Mall of America Wednesday evening as hundreds of teens gathered inside the mall, which coincided with the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday following the end of Ramadan.
Several videos were posted on social media that showed various brawls, assaults, and teens running amok and screaming inside the mall.
Amid the chaos, a few police or security personnel could be seen trying to quell the crowd or break up fights.
Go to Mall of America, they said. It'll be fun, they said.
Bloomington #MOA pic.twitter.com/SDJOj9PMCE
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) April 11, 2024
The disturbances later spilled outside into the parking lots where young people could again be seen engaging in fights while police and security tried to hold a line outside the mall.
The Mall of America has a “Parental Escort Policy” spelled out on its website which states that youth under 16 must be accompanied by an adult age 21 or older daily from 3 p.m. to close. The videos showed numerous youth who appeared to be 16 or younger who did not appear to be under escort by an adult.
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More from Mall of America #MOA last night. Total mayhem inside and out, ZERO updates or reports from @BPD_MN or #MNmedia. https://t.co/mwWVF07vj5— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) April 11, 2024
“Tusmo Times,” a local Somali online media outlet, posted after 9 p.m. on Wednesday urging parents to “quickly drive” their children from the mall “before your son or daughter get arrested or police fight.” The post, translated to English, described that youth and police were chasing each other back and forth.
Neither the Bloomington Police Department nor representatives from Mall of America responded to emailed requests for information about the incident, the parental escort policy, and whether there were any arrests or reported injuries.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
