Mall of America shooting: Gunfire in Minnesota complex causes panic, no casualties reported

On Thursday, Minnesota's Mall of America went under lockdown after an unknown suspect fired gunshots within the premises. No victims have been reported.

According to Bloomberg, authorities arrived at the scene around 6 pm. After the evacuation of shoppers, officers patrolled the building with rifles, reporting that they considered the famous shopping mall to be the scene of an "active incident."

Currently, the shooting is under investigation, as Minnesota authorities are interviewing potential witnesses who were at the Mall of America when the incident occurred. While authorities believe the suspects left the scene on foot, they have not yet identified any potential gunmen.

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Implications of the Mall of America shooting

This was not the first time gun violence has occurred at the Mall of America. During New Years, the mall went under lockdown for the first time after an argument between 2 shoppers led to a shootout. Both of the alleged gunmen suffered bullet wounds but survived.

With two shootings in the past eight months, the Mall of America seems just one of many places that is a site of America's endemic gun violence.

According to Pew Research, 45,222 people in America died from gun-related injuries in 2020, the last year when complete data was collected. This does not include the number of people who died from injuries where gun violence was a factor.

The statistics also show roughly 79-80% of murders in America are carried out with firearms. In addition to this, 53% of successful suicides also involve the use of a gun. States with exceptionally high gun violence rates include Mississippi, Wyoming, Missouri, and Louisiana.

According to EFSGV, Minnesota, where the recent mall shooting took place, has the 8th lowest gun violence rate in the nation. However, in 2019, the last time the organization conducted rigorous data collection related to gun violence, it was noted that Minessotta saw a 46% increase in firearm deaths, with 465 citizens dying in shootings. 37 of the victims were minors.

As per the organization Protect Minnesota, several measures are being taken to decrease gun violence deaths across the State, including suicides.

In its official mission statement, Protect Minnesota wrote:

"Protect Minnesota promotes a culture of health and safety for all Minnesotans by preventing gun violence through research, legislation, education, and community investment."

By and large, the organization said gun violence could be reduced through community programs, mental health counseling, and educational initiatives targeting vulnerable communities in both urban and rural areas.