After Fatal Shooting, Mall Of America To Check Bags At Entrances

The Bloomington mall says it's stepping up security after a 19-year-old man was shot dead in Nordstrom last week.

The Mall of America is implementing periodic bag checks at all of its entrances following the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Johntae Hudson in Nordstrom on Friday, Dec. 23.

The Bloomington mall has announced it is "significantly enhancing its security" in the wake of the shooting, which include additional security guards and "increased presence" of Bloomington police officers in the mall.

The main change for shoppers will be the bag checks at main entrances, though the mall says these checks will be "periodic and unannounced" rather than continuous.

Guns are already banned on Mall of America property, but there have not been any significant measures to search people entering mall premises, though a weapons detection system and bag checks were trialed at the north entrance in October.

Hudson was shot dead in Nordstrom after being chased and corralled by a group of five teenagers, two of whom held him down before shooting him.

While charges have been filed against four of those involved, police have yet to determine the motive behind Hudson's targeting.

The incident in Nordstrom saw shoppers take cover as shots rang out, with one woman who took cover with her daughter grazed by a bullet.

The megamall says its new security measures will be in addition to its "extensive system of cameras, patrol officers and specialized units including K9, bike patrol, and plain clothes officers."

The mall has seen several high-profile incidents involving firearms in the past year.

In August, charges were filed against five Twin Cities residents after a fight inside the Nike store led to gunfire inside the mall.

The suspected gunman escaped the scene and was arrested the following week in Chicago. No one was injured in the shooting.

Later that month, a 28-year-old Woodbury man was arrested for allegedly committing an armed robbery inside the mall with an AR-15-style rifle.

Almost one year ago, on New Year's Eve, two men were injured when a single gunshot was fired inside the mall. The 18-year-old gunman later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 45 months in prison.

SOURCE: Bring Me The News