West Edmonton Mall was put on lockdown over the lunch hour on Thursday after a gun was fired, forcing shoppers and staff to take shelter at the back of stores and restaurants.
Just before 12:30 p.m., police said two males were reportedly walking near the BRBN St. area of the mall when one of them discharged what appeared to be a gun at the other.
Several reports from people inside the mall indicated at least one gun shot could be heard near that area of the mall.
EPS officers responded to the weapons complaints, which put the mall on lockdown for about an hour before it was lifted and police said there was no further danger to the public.
After it was lifted, police were seen investigating in an area in front of the Boston Pizza on BRBN St., which is home to many restaurants and bars.
A bullet hole was spotted on a stair and a casing on the floor in the area blocked off by police tape.
No injuries were reported, police said in a later update Thursday afternoon. There’s been no word on any arrests.
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Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or noticed suspicious activity is asked to call the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.
It’s the second time the city’s largest mall was placed on lockdown this week, after another incident Monday evening.
Edmonton police said in that case, officers responded around 8:20 p.m. to a reports of a male waving a gun and pointing it at another person inside the mall.
Police said mall security followed the suspect, who appeared to be carrying a handgun.
Police arrived and apprehended the person, a 15-year-old teenage boy, and determined the gun was a toy designed to resemble a real firearm.
This was a potentially very dangerous situation, police said, because police can’t immediately tell if a firearm is real or fake and imitation guns are often made to look extremely realistic.
At first glance, and even up close, they can be indistinguishable from real firearms.
“These encounters can become deadly, even when the gun is not real,” police said following Monday’s lockdown.
“If it looks like a gun, it will be treated like a gun.”
Because of the risk to public and officer safety, police treat all firearm complaints as real, even if after the fact it turns out to be a toy.
Imitation guns can include Airsoft, BB, or pellet guns; replica or prop guns; paintball guns, or toy or novelty guns.
There have been several lockdowns due to violence in recent years, the most notable being on Aug. 21, 2023 when a shooting in the parking lot sent three people to hospital with serious injuries.
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