Dec. 6, 2024

The Empire Mall is responding to an active shooter situation tonight.

The initial call came in around 7:30 p.m. with reports of two to three shots fired outside of Zumiez, which is in the Macy’s wing across from The Buckle. A couple shell casings later were found.

While the situation was “quite chaotic … no victims were located inside The Empire Mall, and it is per protocol we always notify the emergency rooms and no victims have been reported,” police chief Jon Thum said.

“The mall, in a testament to their training and preparation, immediately went into procedures to lock their stores down and protect their customers.”

The police department believes the suspect is a male between the ages of 13 and 17.

“I guarantee there’s people out in our community right now that were part of the group that was around the area that know exactly who did this,” Thum said, adding parents need to ask their children if they were at the mall tonight if they know any information.

“I would expect some cooperation in this regard,” he said. “This is an act we cannot tolerate and we need people to provide information that they know.”

This is the type of situation the police department has trained for, Thum added, including inside the mall itself. Multiple law enforcement teams will continue to work together to clear the mall and ensure no one is hiding inside, he added.

The Sioux Falls Police Department is asking people to avoid the area of The Empire Mall at this point. The search likely will take hours, but Thum said the police department “will make sure things are safe” as shoppers likely return this weekend.

“We’ll make sure our response is appropriate,” he said.

There is no ongoing threat to the public, but rather an isolated event “of a juvenile making a decision with a firearm,” Thum said.

“This appears to be some sort of dispute or beef that originated there,” he said. “I think we’ll find answers sooner than later.”

There are cameras throughout the mall “and we’re actively going through that,” he continued. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we’re actively getting information as we speak.”

Update: On Dec. 7, officers reported a suspect believed to be involved in the incident was developed and the Sioux Falls Police Department were able to obtain an arrest warrant. Officers arrested 18-year-old Jaden Michael Justis Bingham of Sioux Falls on two counts of aggravated assault with a bond of $100,000.