Tragedy Strikes Mall of America as Shooting Leaves One Dead

The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota was rocked by tragedy Friday night when a shooting inside the Nordstrom department store left one person dead. The shooting occurred at approximately 9pm local time and police were on the scene shortly after. The mall was immediately put on lockdown, leaving many shoppers and employees stuck in stores until further notice. Chief Booker Hodges of the Bloomington Police Department is scheduled to give an in-person news release about the incident at 10:30pm local time. Members of the media are asked to arrive at level one east main doors for directions to the staging area. This tragedy comes as yet another reminder that gun violence continues to plague our society with no end in sight. Despite repeated calls for action from both sides of the aisle, little has been done to address this epidemic that has claimed countless lives across our nation over recent years. It is clear that something must be done before more innocent people fall victim to senseless acts of violence like this one tonight at Mall of America. The identity of the deceased has not yet been released pending notification of family members, but it is believed they were a shopper inside Nordstrom at the time of the shooting. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their loved ones during this difficult time.