Photo: The Canadian Press – file photo
On Friday, Minnesota police said the Mall of America was closed after a shooting was reported.
Bloomington Police said officers and emergency medical personnel were at the scene of a “shooting” in the mall. Police said the mall was closed.
Videos posted on social media showed shoppers hiding in stores. The reported shooting comes as malls and malls across the US see an influx of shoppers days before Christmas.
The Mall of America confirmed the closure of its Twitter account and asked shoppers to stay in the “nearest safe location.”
Since its opening in 1992, the mall has been the largest in the United States and has been a tourist destination and community gathering. Handguns are prohibited in the building but there are no metal detectors in the entrances.
The mall was closed in August after a shooting at a shopping complex in suburban Minneapolis sent shoppers for cover and two people were injured on New Year’s Eve during an apparent argument.
Representatives for the city of Bloomington and the Mall of America did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
