On Friday, a shooting took place at the Mall of America, prompting shoppers at the nation’s largest shopping center to run for cover just before the holiday weekend, according to the authorities. The shooting resulted in the death of a teenager, and the mall was immediately placed under lockdown.
John Tae Hudson’s cousin has taken to his Facebook page to pen tribute to John Tae Hudson, who is suspected to be young victim killed in Mall of America.
Dennis Hudson wrote: “I’m literally in disbelief right now cuzzo I love you with all my heart💜💜💜…you was really the first cousin I open up to me on our dad side when I met y’all for the first time….I wanna lyk one day I will have a lot of people scream your name John Tae… you were a wonderful person to me I’m sorry for sending you off sometimes when I know you wanted me next to you….I gotcha I promise, I’m shaking I can’t believe it and I wanna hold you cuz….I wanna give you the biggest hug in the world…coming actually really soon, can’t wait until I’m next to you and I hear your voice next to me….my heart cuzzo….I can’t keep living without my love ones like this…I’m so sorry I should’ve stayed in Minnesota💔💔💔you my baby cousin I’m supposed to be there to protect you cuzzo, we always looked out for one another💔.”
According to Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges, the deceased individual John Tae who was 19 years old. During the shooting that took place at the Nordstrom branch in the shopping mall, a bullet apparently touched the jacket of a bystander.According to the chief, it appeared that there was some kind of fight between two groups, and at one point, someone brought out a gun and shot the victim many times. The whole thing took up approximately a minute and a half of my time.
Hodges pleaded with the gunman and the other participants in the brawl to hand themselves over to the authorities. “We are going to capture you, we are going to lock you up, and you are going to get an orange jumpsuit,” he warned. “We are not going to let you get away with this.” “It’s only a matter of time before it takes place,” someone said.
In addition, he cautioned individuals against assisting the suspects in evading capture in any way.
“If somebody assists these individuals — I mean so much as buy them a Happy Meal, give them a ride,” the obviously agitated chief stated. “I mean so much as buy them a Happy Meal, give them a ride.” “You’re going to have to spend some time behind bars with them.”
According to Hodges, the shopping center is scheduled to reopen on Saturday, but the Nordstrom store will continue to be shuttered. Since its opening in 1992, the mall has served both as a destination for tourists and a community hub for people to congregate. The possession of firearms is prohibited on the premises, yet customers have not been asked to go through metal detectors in most cases. In October, the shopping center said that it was conducting tests of a “guns detecting system” at one of its entrances.
Hodges said the arrested suspects were two men, 18, and three 17-year-old male juveniles, according to the Star Tribune, and they were taken into custody in the morning at a home in nearby St. Louis Park by SWAT team officers from three jurisdictions.
The chief added that one of the 18-year-olds is believed to be the shooter, though another suspect may also have fired a weapon. A sixth suspect was still being sought.
The gunfire Friday at the Nordstrom store in the nation’s largest shopping center sent frightened customers scurrying for safety. A bystander was said to have had their jacket grazed by a bullet.
There appeared to be some type of altercation between two groups that escalated into a fistfight, and someone pulled out a gun and shot the victim multiple times, according to police. The entire incident lasted about 30 seconds.
A nearby Bloomington police officer — one of 16 stationed at the mall that day — heard the gunshots around 7:50 p.m. The officer tried life-saving measures but was unable to save the victim.
The lockdown lasted for about an hour before the mall tweeted that shoppers were being sent outside. Videos posted on social media showed people hiding in stores, and an announcement in the mall warned people to seek shelter.Police have not yet identified the slain 19-year-old, but the police chief and Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse have spoken with the man’s relatives.
The gunfire Friday at the Nordstrom store in the nation’s largest shopping center sent frightened customers scurrying for safety. A bystander was said to have had their jacket grazed by a bullet.
There appeared to be some type of altercation between two groups that escalated into a fistfight, and someone pulled out a gun and shot the victim multiple times, according to police. The entire incident lasted about 30 seconds.
A nearby Bloomington police officer — one of 16 stationed at the mall that day — heard the gunshots around 7:50 p.m. The officer tried life-saving measures but was unable to save the victim.
The lockdown lasted for about an hour before the mall tweeted that shoppers were being sent outside. Videos posted on social media showed people hiding in stores, and an announcement in the mall warned people to seek shelter.
Since it opened in 1992, the Mall of America has been a tourist destination and community gathering spot. It bans guns on the premises, but shoppers have generally not been required to pass through metal detectors. The mall said in October it was testing a “weapons detection system” at one of its entrances.
The mall was placed on lockdown in August after a reported shooting sent some shoppers running for cover, and two people were wounded last New Year’s Eve during an apparent altercation.
Security footage captured the group run out a nearby door and pile into a vehicle, Hodges said.
Officers recovered evidence at the St. Louis Park house Saturday morning, including proof that Hodges said indicated the teens made a pit stop between the mall and a safe house.
“The people we arrested here after the shooting, appears that they felt it was necessary to get something to eat. So they went to White Castle … and got a crave pack,” a visibly irritated Hodges said.
Those arrested are not from Bloomington but are from the Twin Cities area.
They are “flat out” refusing to cooperate with authorities, Hodges said, with some even declining to share their names.
Hodges did not say whether any weapons were recovered. The chief reiterated his Friday message urging those involved to come forward and be forthcoming with information. He also warned those aiding fugitives that they could find themselves in handcuffs as well.
“If you come here and murder people in our mall you get one of these at Christmas,” Hodges said while holding up an orange prison jumpsuit and matching orange Santa hat. “Five people got one of these today.”
“We’re not playing that here. You’re going to jail. And we’re going to make sure that anybody else that helped these folks are going to go to jail, too.”
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