US: Police identify man accused of firing shots inside Mall of America

On Monday, the Bloomington police identified a fugitive accused of firing shots inside the Mall of America last week, before fleeing the suburban Minneapolis shopping complex with the help of several accomplices.

They say Shamar Alon Lark, 21, of Minneapolis, fired three rounds in front of a Nike store, following a fight involving half a dozen people. The shooting sent some shoppers running for cover, and soon led to officials locking down the mall. No injuries were reported.

Lark and another man accused in the shooting are being sought on suspicion of second-degree assault. They have not been officially charged. Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges pleaded with the two men to turn themselves in.

“... Understand our detectives and officers are not going to rest until they have you in custody,” Hodges said, at a news conference on Monday.

Three people accused of helping the two men escape the mall-- in a Best Western hotel shuttle-- were charged on Monday with aiding an offender. According to the police,two of them worked at the hotel, where Lark and the other man were taken after the shooting.

The day after the shooting, Hodges said that two of the charged accomplices hindered the investigation by leading the police to believe Lark and the other man were still in the hotel. The hotel was locked down and searched by police teams, even though the suspects had left.

“We were there for a long time when we could have been looking for them,” Hodges said.

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