Miami-Dade Mall Shooting: 1 Person Wounded

CUTLER BAY, FL — One man was shot late Wednesday afternoon at a Miami-Dade County shopping mall, according to first responders.

The shooting occurred at Southland Mall 11 days after the sound of a balloon popping in the food court is believed to have sent thousands of shoppers into a "panic" and caused a SWAT team to converge with guns drawn on the upscale Town Center mall in the affluent community of Boca Raton about 68 miles away.

First responders told Patch the shooting victim at Southland Mall was taken by ambulance to a nearby trauma center. The mall is just outside Miami.

Detective Lee Cowart of the Miami-Dade Police Department said police were searching for three males but it wasn't immediately clear whether they were adults. The shooting occurred at 5:04 p.m.

"Officers arrived approximately one minute later and discovered one adult male suffering from an apparent gunshot wound," Cowart said. "Officers immediately attended to the victim and conducted a protective sweep of the mall."

A person who answered the phone at the Foot Action store near where the incident occurred told Patch that he heard the gunshot.

“All I heard was a gunshot and then I seen him on the floor and that’s it,” the person told Patch before saying he had to go. “I’m talking to a detective.”

Cowart said the victim was in stable condition at a local hospital.

"Preliminary investigation revealed the victim got into an altercation with three males inside the mall," Cowart explained. "The altercation escalated when one of the subjects brandished a firearm and shot the victim."

The mall is anchored by Regal Cinemas, JCPenney, Macy's, TJ Maxx, Sears and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse. The mall is located at 20505 S. Dixie Highway in Cutler Bay and features about 100 shops and restaurants.

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