SEVERAL shots have been fired inside a mall, sending shoppers fleeing in terror and police hunting for the gunman.
The lockdown orders were issued at Independence Center Mall in Missouri at around 3.30pm on Monday.
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The Independence Police Department confirmed to The U.S. Sun that shots were fired inside the mall, but there are no injuries reported.
Cops said at least three shots were fired in the facility's common area.
IPD said responding officers are going store-by-store with mall security searching for the suspect.
Investigators believe only one person shot a weapon.
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Shoppers were allowed to leave the mall on their own with no police assistance.
IPD said the mall will remain open tonight.
Photos from the scene showed a heavy police presence surrounding the mall's perimeter as officials closed all entrances to the facility.
Independence Center Mall boasts more than one million square feet of retail, dining, and entertainment space, according to its website.
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The mall is home to over 100 popular retail stores, including H&M, Forever 21, PINK, Pandora, Carhartt, Victoria’s Secret and Old Navy.
The shopping center is the second-largest mall in the Kansas City Metro Area, behind Oak Park Mall.
About 12million shoppers visit the mall annually.
