Police Looking for Two Men in Mall Surveillance Video

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Two people were shot at Independence Center Saturday afternoon during a fight that involved four people. The scene at the busy mall quickly turned to panic when shoppers heard gunfire at about 4:30 p.m.

Police say the shooting occurred near the lower-level entrance to the Sears store.  The two victims, one male and one female, have minor injuries. Their ages are unknown at this time.

Police interviewed two people they thought were connected to the shooting but they are not in custody and police no longer think they were the shooters. Late Saturday night police released surveillance pictures of two men they consider persons of interest in the case.

The mall was locked down while police secured the scene, searched for suspects and interviewed witnesses.

“I was really freaked out,” said Jade Thomas, who was inside the mall at the time of the shooting. “I didn’t know what was going on and I was really scared.”

Several shoppers said they felt like they were in limbo for about 15 minutes while police tried to determine what had happened and keep everyone safe.  After a few hours, the hundreds of shoppers detained inside the mall were finally allowed to go home.

“It’s a concern,” said Independence Police Capt. John Cato. “We’re in a world where people tend to be a little more violent than we’re accustomed to or maybe we’d be comfortable with so safety is a concern always.”

Mall officials say the mall will be open during regular hours on Sunday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Vernon Meckel, the Independence Center mall manager said the mall has a good record on security and an excellent security staff. In a statement released Saturday evening, Meckel said, “The staff provides round-the-clock patrols of the interior and exterior mall areas and executes other safety measures to maintain a secure environment for shoppers.”