SIOUX FALLS — Nobody was injured and a teenage suspect is still at-large after shots were fired inside the Empire Mall on Friday evening.
Police in Sioux Falls responded to multiple reports of an active shooter and shots fired at the Empire Mall at approximately 7:30 p.m. In addition to uniformed officers, the Sioux Falls SWAT team and the department's Crisis Negotiation Unit responded to the scene.
According to Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum, a male estimated to be between 13 and 17 years old is believed to have fired two or three shots outside Zumiez, a store just south of the mall's central corridor. Investigators located shell casings.
Police say when the shots rang out, multiple juveniles were seen fleeing from the scene. The mall quickly entered a shelter-in-place or lockdown, in line with emergency response protocols.
Thum said emergency rooms were immediately notified, and that police have not received any reports of injuries as a result of the gunfire.
"This appears to be some sort of dispute or beef that originated or occurred there," Thum said.
Authorities say it's believed that the shooter has since left the mall, and that no continuing threat exists at that location. While law enforcement hasn't made a positive identification of the suspect, Thum said someone, somewhere, knows something.
"I guarantee there’s people out in our community right now that were part of the group that was around that area that know exactly who did this," Thum said in a Friday night news conference. "I would expect parents to be asking questions if your kids were at the mall. ... I would expect some cooperation in that regard."
As of 9:30 p.m., uniformed police officers were still present at the mall's exterior, and Thum said their presence can be expected to continue for hours.
The Empire Mall is big. The building features more than 1 million square feet and more than 100 retail offerings. Investigators inside the mall have been viewing surveillance footage in an attempt to identify the suspect, as well as anyone involved or who may have witnessed the shooting.
They're also working to sweep the building to make sure shoppers, employees and anyone else exits the building safely.
"This is an act that we cannot tolerate," Thum said sternly.
Thum lauded the Empire Mall's response, citing previous trainings that mall security has undergone alongside the Sioux Falls Police Department.
"Even for me, back as an officer, we were conducting active shooter training at this location," he said. "This is something we’ve talked about and trained for."
Though more information is expected to be made public by law enforcement in the coming days, Thum said no additional comments from police will be made Friday night.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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