Mall of America shooting suspect arrested; incident left 2 wounded

A 19-year-old St. Paul man has been arrested in connection with last week's shootingat the Mall of America that left two people wounded, authorities said Monday.

Police arrested the man late Sunday afternoon in Roseville at the Motel 6 in the 2300 block of Cleveland Avenue N., said Bloomington Deputy Police Chief Kim Clauson.

According to Roseville Police Chief Erika Scheider, a patrol officer spotted the suspect's vehicle Sunday morning in the motel parking lot and recognized it from an alert issued after the shooting. The vehicle's driver matched the description of the suspect. But before the officer could circle back, the driver had fled to a room inside the motel.

"Once officers were able to review video surveillance from the motel, they were able to determine which room the male ran to," Scheider said. "Officers maintained surveillance on the room until Bloomington could respond."

Clauson said Bloomington officers made the arrest "without incident. She described the suspect as "cooperative and not armed."

The man remained jailed Monday on suspicion of aiding and abetting first-degree assault and has yet to be charged. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Police have not said what role the man played in the shooting.

"We are still working to identify additional suspects," Clauson said.

One man was wounded in the leg and another was grazed by by gunfire about 5 p.m. Friday on the third floor of the Bloomington mall, police said.

Shoppers ran for cover, and the mall was evacuated during a 45-minute lockdown, a mall official said.

Clauson said police were working on the third floor when an officer heard a gunshot. Police and mall security arrived within a minute. The man shot in the leg was taken by ambulance to HCMC; the second victim was treated at the scene and released.

Clauson said the shooting did not appear to be random. "It does appear there was an altercation between two males before the shot was fired," she said.

A video on social media showed emergency personnel gathered around one of the victims near the third-floor Sears corridor. Another video showed medics taking away a wounded man on a gurney. The man appeared to be conscious. Another posted to social media showed a large group fleeing the mall.

Soon after the shooting, an announcement boomed throughout the mall repeating that anyone not in a secure location should seek shelter immediately.

The Mall of America bans guns on its premises, according to its website. However, there are no metal detectors, and shoppers are not searched upon entry. Mall spokesman Dan Jasper said lockdown drills are performed each month to prepare for shooting scenarios.