DES PERES – The West County Center closed early Saturday after a person was shot inside the mall.
Officers responded at around 6:20 p.m. “after an altercation occurred” between two people inside a store and shots were fired, Des Peres police said in a statement. One person was shot and pronounced dead at a local hospital, police said.
Armed officers inside the mall could be seen searching for a gunman. But around 9 p.m., Des Peres police said there was no longer a threat to the public.
A police spokesperson said the two people involved were men and no one was in custody. The shooting took place on the ground floor of the mall.
The police evacuated some buyers and employees from the mall; others were locked inside.
The owner of the CBL Properties shopping center sent this message to the employees:
“Emergency Alert: There has been a shooting in West County. The police responded. Please remain confined until the police have cleared the area. The mall is closed.
Dozens of police vehicles gathered outside the mall before nightfall. Employees stood in groups, some could be heard wondering if they could retrieve their things from inside so they could leave. A woman approached the police and said her brother had been shot.