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Man's gun accidentally discharges at King of Prussia Mall: police

Gun accidentally discharges at King of Prussia Mall, police say
Gun accidentally discharges at King of Prussia Mall, police say 01:25

Editor's note: A previous version of this story said a gun fell out of a shoe-shine employee's pocket, but police now say a man accidentally discharged his gun.

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., (CBS) -- Police say a gun went off near the food court in the King of Prussia Mall on Tuesday night. Investigators say they need the public's help.

At approximately 7:21 p.m., police believe a single gunshot was heard in the vicinity of the food court at the mall. While this is an ongoing investigation, Upper Merion Township Police Chief Thomas Nolan shared more details. 

"This was never an active shooter," Nolan said. "We believe all along it was some type of accidental discharge."

However, when mall patrons close by heard the gunshot, they could not and did not know that it was believed to be accidental.

"Obviously, this created quite a panic in the area. Many of the patrons ran from the scene or went into lockdown in nearby stores," Nolan said.  

Upon reviewing video surveillance footage, police determined that two men were walking together by the sushi kiosk. As they passed by, the gunshot went off.

"We believe one of the males had a gun in his pants and it accidentally discharged, striking one of them," Nolan said. "At this point, we're not even sure which one is struck." 

Police say those two men left the mall and took off in a car. 

No other patrons are believed to have suffered any injuries. 

In the event you witnessed this incident, you're asked to call the Upper Merion Township Police Department.

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