A 19-year-old St. Paul man who was one of two people arrested on suspicion of having a role in the New Year's Eve shooting at the Mall of America was released from jail early Wednesday afternoon after prosecutors found insufficient evidence to charge him.
Still jailed is an 18-year-old man from St. Paul who was arrested midafternoon Tuesday in Roseville, said Bloomington Deputy Police Chief Kimberly Clauson.
A gun was recovered by law enforcement at the scene in the 2600 block of Rice Street, said Clauson, who added Wednesday that the suspect "is believed to be the shooter" who wounded two people with a single gunshot.
In a statement released late Wednesday afternoon, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office said that "based on available evidence ... it appears the shooter acted independently. Therefore, there is insufficient admissible evidence for prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that [the 19-year-old] intentionally aided and abetted the shooter. As a result, we are declining to file charges against [him]."
The suspected shooter remains in custody and his case is being reviewed for possible charges, the County Attorney's Office statement continued.
Bloomington police have released both suspects' names, but the Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.
Clauson added that police are not looking for any other suspects in the investigation of the shooting, which occurred about 5 p.m. Friday on the third floor of the vast mall. Shoppers ran for cover, and the mall was put on lockdown for roughly 45 minutes.
Interim Police Chief Mike Hartley told the Bloomington City Council on Monday that the bullet wounded one person in the leg, ricocheted and hit another person who wasn't taken to the hospital.
