Police converged on a shopping mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Saturday night in response to a report of an attack involving shooting or stabbing.
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One assailant is dead and another is in custody as St. Cloud Police continue to investigate the stabbing at Crossroads Mall.
The lone suspect was wearing a private security uniform and had at least one knife, and “made some references to Allah”, the police chief said.
Seven of the victims had non-life-threatening injuries and one was admitted to the hospital, the St. Cloud Times reported.
But Anderson declined to call the attacks an act of terrorism, saying the motive for the attacks isn’t known yet. “Starting tomorrow, things won’t be the same here”.
The eight people injured were taken to a hospital, where one is expected to remain.
“An armed suspect entered the Crossroads Mall”.
“Right now we don’t have any information that would indicate that anyone else is involved”, Anderson said.
Sunday afternoon, Minnesota’s Star Tribute and the St. Cloud Times reported that the suspect’s father, Ahmed Adan, identified him as Dahir A. Adan, 22, a student at St. Cloud Technical and Community College.
“The mall will remain closed”, Kleis said.
The stabbings occurred in multiple locations inside the mall, including in the common area and several stores.
“I went closer to the mall entrance by J.C. Penney’s and I was looking at some jeans and all the sudden people were just running in chaos”, she told WCCO.
Police officials told the Times that the scene was contained.
The scene was still active late Saturday evening, as police were on the scene.
St. Cloud is about 112.65 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Minneapolis.
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The mall was put on lockdown as authorities arrived, with shoppers who had taken cover inside eventually brought to the food mall as police conducted a search. “I just saw everybody running our way”.
