Two held after guns displayed during fight at Northtown Mall in Blaine

Two people allegedly displayed handguns while fighting with another group in line at a store in Northtown Mall in Blaine on Monday afternoon, according to police.

Those two have been detained and interviewed, but no charges have been released yet.

The Blaine Police Department responded at around 4:15 p.m. to the Burlington store in the mall, after store employees and other witnesses reported a fight between two groups, including some who were armed.

One of the police department's retail officers was nearby when the fight broke out and intervened to get the situation under control, Capt. Mark Boerboom said Monday evening.

"It initially started over butting in line, then it turned to yelling and then to physical punching," Boerboom said.

Two people from one of the groups displayed their handguns but did not fire them, he said.

Those two and a third person with them were taken into police custody.

"Anytime you have a situation like this in a public place, it's concerning," he said. "Fortunately there were no shots fired and we had a dedicated officer who works there, and he was right outside the mall entrance. His quick response was able to resolve it quickly."

There was no indication the groups knew each other beforehand, he added.

"This is an ongoing investigation and our detectives are still reviewing the surveillance video footage and conducting numerous interviews to determine what potential criminal charges may be appropriate," Boerboom said.

The incident comes a little over two weeks after the Mall of America received nationwide coverage for a shooting that left a 19-year-old dead in a Nordstrom store.