Police in Charlotte, N.C., say an argument between two groups of people who knew each other led to the death of an armed suspect.

Some employees of stores inside the mall began pulling down their gates upon hearing the fired shots in order to protect those inside, while others left the mall. CMPD Chief Kerr Putney said witnesses told police that when off-duty officer Thomas Ferguson reached the scene, one of the gunmen turned and pointed his weapon at Ferguson.

The officer then “fired his service weapon”, Mr Putney said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Medic.

Shoppers who were crowding the mall for last-minute gifts hid in stores and locked themselves inside, officials said. Police could be seen blocking all mall entrances.

He had just gotten off the phone asking her shoe size when he bumped into a rival gang member who shot his older brother in the head, Shirley said.

“He wasn’t looking for that boy, he told me”, the heartbroken mother said. It was extremely loud. “I started light jogging then I heard boom boom boom boom and I said, “Oh my gosh”. “Once I heard that, there was no mistaking it. It sounded like someone was unloading a clip”.

Chaos erupted as shoppers dove for cover or tried to get out the door, Wallace said.

“It was so terrifying”, said Santos, who did not actually hear gunshots go off.

‘It was wild. I heard the first shot and I thought, ‘Wait.

“With all the things that have occurred in this country in the past couple of years, we want to assure people that this is an isolated, specific event, not of any random nature”, he said.

WBTV reports that, per standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting, Officer Ferguson is on paid administrative leave while the department investigates.

Hamrick said she watched as a group of people “ganged up” on a man. During the fight, someone pulled a gun, and a friend of the man was shot.

The scene was chaotic, she said: People ran to their cars.