5 arrested after shooting death of 19-year-old in the largest mall in the US – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports
(CNN) — Five people were arrested Saturday in connection with the shooting death of a 19-year-old last night at Minnesota’s Mall of America, the largest mall in the United States, police said.
The suspects – three 17-year-old boys and two 18-year-old boys – were arrested after police executed a search warrant Saturday, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges told reporters.
Investigators believe the shooter was one of the arrested adults, Hodges said. They are trying to determine if another shooter was involved. The suspects will be charged with second degree murder, according to Hodges.
“We don’t know why this happened,” Hodges said. “And we don’t know why, because people don’t cooperate and people don’t want to talk.”
Hodges previously said officers heard gunshots on the first floor of Nordstrom just before 8 pm local time on Friday and found a man shot multiple times inside the store. ,
On Saturday, Hodges said an officer working at the Watches of Switzerland store saw people exit Nordstrom, rushed into the store and found the victim.
Rescue measures were performed on the victim but were unsuccessful. A bystander hit by a bullet should live, Hodges said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said his office is working with local officials to provide support and resources, tweeting that “the violence at MOA last night was completely unacceptable.”
The 30-year-old mall, about 10 miles south of downtown Minneapolis, is a popular tourist destination in the Midwest, with tens of millions of visitors each year. The giant shopping complex has more than 500 stores, more than 50 restaurants, dozens of attractions and two hotels, according to its owners.
Friday’s shooting happened about five months after suspects opened fire at a crowded mall store. No injuries were reported in the August incident.
Hodges said the fatal shooting was the first gun-related killing at the mall. There was a family-related stabbing fatality at the mall in 1999, he said.
According to a preliminary investigation into Friday’s incident, there was an altercation between approximately five to nine people inside Nordstrom. Surveillance video from the store showed a man pull out a gun and shoot the victim, Hodges said.
“We have an incident where if someone decides they want to pull out a gun and shoot someone with complete disregard for human life, I still don’t know what we can do to stop that. ,” Hodges said.
A shooting pattern not yet determined.
A gospel singer and football players were at the mall during the shooting
Billboard gospel singer Jovonta Patton was shooting an Instagram reel at a Gucci store inside Nordstrom when gunshots rang out in the background.
Patton quickly ran to the back room of the store to hide for about 15 minutes, where about six or seven other people hid, he told CNN.
Several New York Giants players were also inside the mall at the time of the shooting, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
The team is staying at a nearby hotel before a game against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis on Saturday. On Friday, Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon told The Associated Press that the players who were at the mall at the time of the shooting returned to the hotel and were all found.
CNN has reached out to the New York Giants for comment.
Team announcer Bob Papa was also inside the mall during the incident.
“It’s scary here @mallofamerica,” he tweeted on Friday. “Filming in a shopping center. Trapped at #TwinCitiesGrill. Two armed men at least one victim. An hour later, Dad said, “It’s safe to leave the mall and go back to the hotel.” Prayer to the victim.
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