Police in Bloomington were kept busy at the Mall of America Friday afternoon and evening with several different incidents, including an armed standoff in the parking lot, a separate fight inside the mall, and later reports of unruly crowds inside the mall, including one that reportedly resulted in police recovering a gun.
The first incident kicked off just after 4 p.m. when police responded to a report of a male with a gun in the north parking lot of the mall, according to dispatch audio.
Police aired that the male was not cooperating and appeared to be holding a shotgun. Negotiators were requested to the scene, and police indicated that they were trying to reach family members and a friend of the person to try to get more information or get him talked into a calmer state.
Situation with an armed suspect out near Mall of America.
24th Ave being shut down near 494.
Developing
16:14— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) April 21, 2023
After apparently speaking to a family member, police aired information that indicated the male may have been having a mental health issue. Some nearby hotels were requested to evacuate some rooms that were facing the area of the standoff, and access to surrounding streets was cut off as well as a freeway exit to the mall area at 24th Avenue South. The male was eventually peacefully detained around 7 p.m.
Police provided more information in a statement to media saying that the man was having a mental health crisis and was transported to an area hospital after being apprehended.
The Royal Canadian International Circus had an event tent set up in the parking lot adjacent to where the standoff took place. Attendees were initially asked to remain quiet and make their way to the exits, media reported.
The mall itself reportedly sent a notice to tenants notifying them of the incident but said the mall was not being locked down as a result.
A second separate incident developed inside the mall over an hour into the standoff that was initially reported as possible shots fired and a fight. However, police quickly updated that no shots had been fired, but there was a fight in the north food court.
A video later surfaced online which reportedly showed at least part of the melee in the food court.
Here's the initial dispatch airing that security was reporting shots fired in the mall. That info turned out to be unfounded, which we updated at the time. pic.twitter.com/gfX4uNznNJ
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) April 22, 2023
Police inside the mall aired to officers outside the mall who were still engaged in the standoff that many shoppers were beginning to stream out into the parking lots following the fight inside the mall. It wasn’t clear whether any arrests were made following the fighting incident.
Again, as the standoff continued outside the mall, police inside the mall began airing around 6:30 p.m. that they were trying to manage large groups and indicated that some were becoming unruly. One officer aired that he heard “rumblings” that potential smash-and-grab type thefts “could be the next step.”
Officers aired just after 7 p.m. that one person had been taken into custody while officers were trying to move the crowd out of the food court area.
Around 7:15 p.m., officers requested that the dispatcher advise nearby hotels to lock their doors as the crowd was being pushed to the exits. Another fight involving 10-15 people broke out a few minutes later, according to audio. Police aired that they had recovered a gun from a person in front of the LL Bean store and indicated that a person had been taken into custody as a result.
Brief clip of police and/or security running on several levels of MOA during the later disturbances. pic.twitter.com/UjPwZWQu6E
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) April 22, 2023
Audio indicated that disturbances continued until shortly after 7:30 p.m., and several more officers arrived at the mall to take up positions around the mall for crowd control. Further audio indicated that the situation was calming down after 8 p.m., and the mall was scheduled to close at 9 p.m.
Alpha News reached out to the Bloomington Police Department for information on the later gun incident inside the mall and any arrested parties but did not receive a response in time for this report.
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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.
