Updated at 4:30 p.m. July 22, with details from a police press conference
One man is dead after a shooting inside the St. Louis Galleria mall Wednesday afternoon, police confirmed.
Police are still searching the area for three or four people who fled the scene.
During a press conference at 4 p.m., St. Louis County police spokesperson Ben Granda said the man who died in the shooting was in his early 20s. His name has not been released. The other man who was shot remains hospitalized.
Granda said a dispute began inside the mall between two groups of people and led to the shooting. Granda said the relationship between the two groups of people is not known.
"We can confirm that two people have been shot at the Galleria Mall. At this time, we do not consider this an active shooter incident. The investigation is fluid and we will provide details as necessary," St. Louis County police tweeted shortly after 2 p.m.
The mall remains closed.
A police source told 5 On Your Side's Christine Byers that two people were shot inside the Galleria, that one of the victims was shot in the head and the other victim was shot in the arm. Her source said the shooting happened on the north end of the mall. One of the victims was found outside the Champs Sports store, the source said.
The source said the shooter was last seen running into the mall with a pistol in his hand, and police are searching for four men and a woman who may have left the mall through Dillard's.
St. Louis County police released a surveillance photo of a man they called a "person of interest" in the shooting. Anyone with information on the man seen below can call the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 or leave a tip with CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.
"We had a lot of people in the mall today," Granda said during a press conference. He asked anyone who was at the mall on Wednesday to contact the police department.
A man who spoke with 5 On Your Side said he was inside the mall on his lunch break when he heard three gunshots.
"I knew what it was right away," he said, adding that other people seemed confused at first, before he saw people running away from the gunshots.
The man described the shooting as happening near the Champs store. He saw a group of people gathering around a victim at the bottom of an escalator. He said evidence at the scene appeared to indicate the man was shot at the top of the escalator on the second floor and then fell down the stairs to the first floor.
5 On Your Side also reached out to several stores inside the mall. An employee at Forever 21 said they had to close their gates and shelter customers.
An employee at a nearby store said she heard several loud bangs that sounded like gunshots, then a security officer ran by and told her to lock the store’s gates and shelter in place.
A customer who was inside the mall told 5 On Your Side's Anne Allred that she was told to leave the building and that the shooting happened near the Champs Sports store.
Photos from the scene show firetrucks, ambulances and police SUVs in the parking lot of the mall in Richmond Heights. Several police cruisers were parked outside the entrance, and police were directing traffic away from the mall.
St. Louis County police are on the scene along with several other departments assisting Richmond Heights police. The department reiterated the mall is closed and asked people to stay away from the area.
Families needing to reunite with loved ones who were at the mall can meet at the CVS pharmacy at 8101 Clayton Road.
This is a developing story.
Reporter Christine Byers and producer Domi Olmos are with 5 On Your Side, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
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