One person wounded in what may have been accidental gunfire at Southdale Center in Edina

Gunfire suspected of being accidental wounded one person inside Southdale Center in Edina early Monday afternoon and put part of the mall on lockdown for nearly an hour, officials said.

The shooting occurred at 12:10 p.m. and prompted a large police response, said city spokeswoman Lauren Siebenaler.

Officers detected blood inside the mall but did not find who was hit by what appears to have been "an accidental discharge of a firearm," Siebenaler said.

Police are searching for two people in connection with the gunfire, Edina Police Chief Todd Milburn said, speaking outside the mall soon afterward.

Milburn said someone fired a shot into the floor, was wounded and ran to a waiting car.

Siebenaler said about half the mall was locked down until shortly after 1 p.m.

The gunfire occurred near the Hennepin County Service Center, prompting officials to close the government site for the remainder of the day. Services will resume at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Officers have been interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence in hopes of learning more about the gunfire and potentially locating the wounded person.

The incident follows a Dec. 23 shooting at the Mall of America in Bloomington that left 19-year-old Johntae Hudson dead. Four teens were charged in his killing.

Star Tribune photographer Jeff Wheeler contributed to this report.