Two men were shot at a St. Louis, Missouri mall on Wednesday, and now police are inside searching with dogs. According to a local Fox affiliate, the shooting took place at the Galleria Mall and the St. Louis County Police say the shooter’s location is unknown at this time. One of the men shot was hit in the arm while the other in the head, with their conditions unknown at this time as well.
The outlet reported that the shooting took place either inside or outside of the mall, but that it was near the Champs on the Dillards side of the building. A heavy police presence took place shortly after with several ambulances in the parking lot. While it’s unclear on the extent of injuries of those hit by bullets, one person was seen being taken out of the mall on a stretcher and put into the ambulance. The police department did confirm the situation via Twitter writing, “#Breaking: We can confirm that two people have been shot at the Galleria Mall. At this time, we do not consider this an active shooter incident. The investigation is fluid and we will provide details as necessary. Avoid the area.”
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#Breaking: We can confirm that two people have been shot at the Galleria Mall. At this time, we do not consider this an active shooter incident. The investigation is fluid and we will provide details as necessary. Avoid the area.
— St. Louis County PD (@stlcountypd) July 22, 2020
According to a tweet sent at 1:52 p.m. local time, the St. Louis County Police Department said officers were on scene with the City of Richmond Heights Police Department and several police municipalities according to 13KRCG. According to a source who spoke with 5 On Your Side via St.Louis Public Radio, the shooter was last seen running into the mall with a pistol in their hand and that police are currently searching for four men and women who may have left the mall through Dillards. “I knew what it was right away,” one mall employee said, who was on his lunch break at the time when he heard three gunshots. The source continued to say that people seemed confused at first but then started to scatter.
The mall has been shut down for the time being as police continue their investigation. Outlets have reported that some officers are questioning witnesses outside in the parking lot while others search surrounding areas including in and around the mall, neighborhoods and nearby businesses. Officers aren’t alone on this one as they use their dogs to help sniff out any potential clues that could lead them to the shooter. In the meantime, officers are directing traffic as they attempt to shuffle people out of the mall.
