One man dead following apparent suicide at Eden Prairie Scheels store

Eden Prairie Police say there is no danger to the public and that the scene has been secured following a lockdown and an apparent suicide in the Scheels store at Eden Prairie Center mall Monday night. 

Police said they responded to a report of gunfire in Scheels and found a dead adult male in the store, according to an EPPD Twitter post at 8:36 p.m. Police later stated that the man died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound.

No other injuries were reported, and the dead man’s identity was not released.

Police said further information would be forthcoming.

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After the shooting, the shopping center was placed on lockdown, including the nearby AMC movie theaters, according to Babar Khan, an EPLN contributor who was there with his family. Khan reported that movie theater patrons were being released at about 9 p.m.

Before the lockdown, a witness standing near the AMC concession stand saw people quietly fleeing. He described it as surreal to see people running to the east exit of the mall by the food court.

Eden Prairie Schools also ordered a precautionary stay-in-place order during the incident.

Multiple social media posts indicated that the man was found dead on the store’s second floor of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

First responders from several communities responded to the scene, including Hennepin Healthcare ambulances.

EPLN received unconfirmed reports from a store employee that a Scheels employee was showing a gun to a male customer when he ran off with it. The report said the man apparently “has a magazine for this specific gun.”

The employee shouted for the man to stop, but he ran to the store’s fishing department, and the employee heard a gunshot, according to the source. FOX 9 television reported a similar incident. Police were not able to immediately confirm this information.

EPLN will update this story as new information is released.

Editor’s note: Babar Khan, Ryan Williamson, Stuart Sudak, Amy Nylander, Brad Canham, Gillian Holte, Ben Hymans, Juliana Allen, and Jeff Strate contributed to this story.

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.