Mall security officers and police in Bloomington, Minnesota made several arrests, the Mall of America said. CNN affiliate KARE reported that nine people have been arrested, including several juveniles.
Video of one incident showed a man picking up a chair to throw as crowds of shoppers, some screaming, fled a mall food court. The video also showed a group of what appeared to be youths brawling before police officers intervened.
The incidents began about 4 p.m. Monday, when a group of individuals began fighting in the food court, KARE said. Police told the station several other fights flared up elsewhere in the mall at about the same time.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene.
“There were drinks thrown on the floor and chairs being thrown everywhere,” witness Tess Dessalgne told KARE. She reported that “everyone started running toward the fight,” while the video showed others leaving the area.
Another woman told CNN affiliate WCCO that she “didn’t really know what was going on” when stores unexpectedly began closing down but soon saw police “pushing us all away from Nordstrom.”
“Unfortunately, as we have witnessed at shopping sites across the country this week, large groups of individuals can come together and create bad situations,” said the mall statement. “It is very unfortunate to see these incidents occurring, especially during the holiday shopping season when families are out spending time together.”
