Minnesota Mall Attack Live Updates: At Least 8 Injured In Stabbing Incident, Suspect Referenced ‘Allah’

At least eight people were injured after a knife-wielding man went on a stabbing rampage at a Minnesota shopping mall Saturday evening. An off-duty police officer shot dead the suspect, who reportedly referenced "Allah" before carrying out the deadly attack.

The attack took place in St. Cloud, 70 miles northwest of Minneapolis. The city's Police Chief Blair Anderson told a news conference that the victims were treated for injuries that weren't life-threatening. The unidentified suspect was reportedly wearing a private security firm uniform at the time of the attack, Anderson said, adding that the attacker asked at least one person whether they were Muslim.

Anderson said that the motive of the attack was unknown, and also declined to call the incident an act of terrorism.

"We will be diligent and get to the bottom of this," Anderson said, adding that an investigation is underway into the incident. "Starting tomorrow, things won't be the same here."

Authorities said that the mall will remain on lockdown following the incident, with those inside to be released early Sunday.

“I went closer to the mall entrance by J.C. Penney’s and I was looking at some jeans and all the sudden people were just running in chaos,” worker Ashley Bayne told WCCO. “They were screaming, ‘Someone’s stabbing people in the mall,’ and people were just really frantic and were running.”

Danny Carranza of Willmar told local media that police were checking the identification of all the people inside the mall.