Sgt.
The suspect's name wasn't immediately released by police, and Gellenbeck said additional information would be released later in the day.
Thursday's shooting forced
Police said the victim was in critical but stable condition at a hospital after being shot in the chest.
Police said the suspect, wearing sweatpants but no shirt, was seen fleeing from the area near the
After the shooting, officers searched the mall for the suspect, and cleared out shoppers who had taken cover.
“When the shooting started, there were bunch of people hid in closets, hid in back rooms, locked the stores,” Gellenbeck said. "So they’re having to go store to store to clear the civilians out and look for the suspect.”
Withrow said the mall was to reopen Friday morning.
The shooting came amid the busy holiday shopping season, just days before Christmas. Those standing in the mall's parking lot after the shooting included a person dressed as Santa Claus.
“You know it’s kind of surreal because you don’t really know what to do in that moment,” she said. "It’s just you don’t really think it will happen to us until it does."
Among those evacuated from the mall were members of the
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