One person shot at St. Clair Square Mall, according to Fairview Heights Police

One person was shot Thursday at the St. Clair Square Mall, according to law enforcement.

The Fairview Heights Police Department said in a news release that officers responded just after 4 p.m. to a call that reported shots had been fired inside the mall.

The person who was shot was transported to a local hospital, the department said. It was “detaining” two men “while police sort out what occurred.”

Tristan Bergman, who works at the mall, described the experience as terrifying.

“Me and my coworker were just sitting, doing our usual thing and then we thought we heard gun shots,” Bergman said. “We weren’t really sure. The mall is always loud. But to be safe, we just locked the door and ran to the back and hid. Then we heard the helicopter and knew it was serious. We’re just glad that we’re OK.”

There was a heavy police presence at the mall, and law enforcement began blocking off parking lot entrances around 5:30 p.m. Fairview Heights police said the mall was shut down for the evening.

DeAsia Paige contributed to this story.