Mall shooting in Wis. leaves 1 injured

Associated Press

MADISON, WIS.

Gunfire erupted during a dispute inside a large Wisconsin mall Saturday, leaving one man wounded in the leg and sending people scrambling for cover on one of the busiest shopping days before Christmas.

Police said the East Towne Mall in Madison was shut down after shooting broke out just before 3 p.m. According to a statement posted on its website, Madison police said they still were looking for a suspect.

“This is not an active shooter. This is not an act of terrorism,” Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain said.

Witnesses told police that several young men were involved in a dispute in the middle of the mall. One pulled out a handgun and fired at least one shot. A 19-year-old man involved in the initial dispute was struck in the leg. He was taken to the hospital with a nonlife-threatening injury.

Police said the mall had been secured by late afternoon and was reopened except for the immediate area where the shooting happened.

Shopper Evan Flood said he saw a heated argument among about 15 people, and a couple of punches were thrown. Then, within three or four seconds a gun went off, he said.