A shooting at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota left a 19-year-old dead and many others in fear on Friday night.
Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges told the Associated Press that an altercation between two groups preceded the shooting and that a bystander had also been grazed by a bullet.
The New York Giants, who traveled to Minneapolis on Friday ahead of their Week 16 game against the Minnesota Vikings, are staying at a hotel adjacent to the mall. Several of their players were believed to have been in the mall at the time of the shooting.
“Everyone is back in the hotel and accounted for now,” Giants executive vice president of communications Pat Hanlon told the AP.
Long-time Giants play-by-play announcer, Bob Papa, was also in the mall at the time of the shooting. He sent a series of tweets during the chaos.
Scary here @mallofamerica. Shooting in mall. On lockdown at #TwinCitiesGrill. Two gunmen at least one victim.
— Bob Papa (@BobPapa_NFL) December 24, 2022
Safely out of mall and back at hotel. Prayers to victim. https://t.co/gWygbgpCtA
— Bob Papa (@BobPapa_NFL) December 24, 2022
General manager Joe Schoen may have also been in the mall at the time of the shooting and worked with team security to account for all of the players during the mall lockdown.
Numerous #Giants players spent roughly an hour last night on lockdown at the Mall of America, where a 19-year-old man was shot dead. A scary situation, as they now try to refocus and face the #Vikings. @nflnetwork @NFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/dJGKZAhrT5
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 24, 2022
The suspect(s) remain at large.
The thoughts and prayers of Giants Nation go out to the victim, his family, and his friends.
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