On Friday, a man armed with a shotgun was apprehended following a standoff in a parking lot at the Mall of America. Authorities confirmed the suspect was taken into custody near the intersection of American Boulevard and 24th Avenue in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis.
The incident unfolded around 4 p.m., when a 911 call reported a man brandishing a large firearm in the parking lot. The suspect then entered a tent belonging to the Royal Canadian International Circus, which was set up in the lot. Bloomington police officers arrived on the scene and encountered the armed man, who defied their commands to relinquish his weapon.
As a precaution, people inside the tent and a neighboring hotel were evacuated. The suspect’s family was contacted, and they disclosed that he was experiencing a mental health crisis. Crisis negotiators were summoned to the scene in an effort to convince the man to surrender peacefully.
Despite their attempts, the situation escalated around 6:15 p.m. when the suspect retreated to his vehicle and refused to exit. Roughly 30 minutes later, two gunshots were heard as the man emerged from his SUV and fell to the ground, shouting. Officers quickly handcuffed the suspect, who was conscious and responsive.
The identity of the man has not yet been released, and he was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis for treatment. During the standoff, shoppers were barred from entering the parking lot, and nearby roads were closed but later reopened after the incident concluded.
Mall of America spokesperson Laura Utecht confirmed that one mall entrance was shut down during the standoff, but the mall remained open for business throughout the tense situation.