Mall of America took a bloody toll on Sunday, November 11, as holiday shoppers were confronted with violence. Mall of America is the biggest shopping center in the nation, located in Bloomington, Minnesota. This mall is known for attracting over 40 million people annually. Usually, this time of year is spent visiting Santa and buying presents, but on Sunday evening the day took a turn for the worst.
Two people were stabbed as a thief tried to take personal items from a man’s dressing room at Macy’s. According to the Washington Post, “After the customer returned to the fitting room and discovered the attempted theft, the robber pulled out a knife and stabbed the customer.” A family member heard the commotion inside the dressing room and was also stabbed while trying to interfere. Both victims were taken to the hospital, without life-threatening injuries.
Twenty-year-old Mahad Abdiaziz Abdirahaman of Minneapolis was arrested on first-degree assault charges. Mall of America issued a statement saying, “One person is in custody and Bloomington Police is conducting the ongoing investigation. Our thoughts are with the families involved.”
Armed officers ran past shoppers, telling them to clear the area. Children standing in line to see Santa were quickly rushed out of the store. What should have been a day full of joy, will be remembered for those children as a day of fear. Throughout areas that should be peaceful, violence continues to appear, unwanted and unannounced.
This is yet again another display of violence in a public place. This is becoming an ongoing issue in the United States. Stores and employees have become more cautious this holiday season. Crowded areas have become targets for violent actions. It’s important for shoppers to be aware, as actions like this could happen anywhere.
Justin Harrington • Nov 16, 2017 at 9:34 pm
It’s so unfortunate that an awesome attraction such as the Mall of America would fall victim to acts of such senseless violence.