Adelaide Westfield in lockdown as police pursue ‘armed offender’
Video footage shows heavily armed SWAT officers storming the centre as shoppers and staff take cover.
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A shopping centre in Adelaide has gone into lockdown following reports of an armed person.
Shoppers at the Westfield Marion centre were reportedly evacuated on Sunday afternoon.
South Australian police has asked the public to stay away from the area.
Video circulating on social media shows heavily armed SWAT officers storming into the centre.
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Sirens can be heard going off in the centre as shoppers scramble to flee.
Other footage from the centre posted to social media shows people locked down and waiting in the Target staff room
It is understood the armed person was spotted in the centre’s David Jones store.
“Police are aware of an incident occurring at Westfield Marion Shopping Centre,” a police spokesman said.
“Numerous police patrols are in attendance.
“At this point in time, police advise the public to stay away from the area.”
A photo from the scene shows a billboard warning: “Armed Offender: Escape, Hide, Tell”.
One shopper, posting to social media, writes: “I’m in here they are evacuating everyone in here”.
Photos from the scene show armed police officers inside the building and worried shoppers who have fled the centre.
The shopping centre is owned by Scentre Group, same company that runs Westfield Bondi, the scene of a horrific mass murder event in April.
The company has been contacted for a response to the unfolding incident.
Westfield Marion is a major shopping hub in the city’s southern suburbs, about 12km from the CBD.
The police conducted an active armed offender training drill at the centre in mid June.
Assistant Commissioner Scott Duval will address media at 5.30pm at Marion Shopping Centre to provide an update on the incident that occurred at the centre this afternoon, the police said.
More to come
Originally published as Adelaide Westfield in lockdown as police pursue ‘armed offender’
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