TUKWILA - Southcenter Mall reopened to nervous shoppers and employees Thursday morning following a shooting the night before, and some people said they weren't that surprised at the violence that broke out after an argument between two groups of young men.

"(There are) a lot of gangs, a lot of people that come and hang around," said Josh Gardner, who works at the mall. "A lot of fights, (it) happens a lot inside the mall. ... You get kind of worried. You never know what's going to happen."

Some shoppers said they would be nervous about returning to the mall to shop - even though two arrests have been made in the case - and that they would be more aware and watchful of the people around them.

"It's definitely, it's definitely something to be aware of, definitely keep an eye out for people," said Ana Gallaher.

Police said an argument Wednesday night between two groups of teens and young men broke out in the parking lot outside the mall's north entrance near the Johnny Rockets restaurant. The fight escalated until one person pulled out a hand gun and fired more than eight times, hitting a 21-year-old Seattle man.

Police spokesman Mike Murphy said the victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center and is expected to recover.

Several exterior store windows were shattered and vehicles nearby parked were also hit. Inside the mall, meanwhile, the sound of the gunshots unleashed sheer panic among shoppers and employees.

"I heard 'pop, pop, pop.' Everyone got down. I got down," said one witness.

"Scariest thing that ever happened to me," said another.

In the minutes following initial reports of the shooting, concerned callers told KOMO News that their loved ones were inside the mall, hiding inside stores and scared, not knowing what was happening.

Two off-duty police officers who happened to be at the mall spotted a suspect leaving the scene and trailed him while calling for backup. A police chase ensued in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 as the suspect sped toward Seattle.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, finally pulled over near the intersection of 7th and Marion where police arrested him.

"There were at least 20, 30 cop cars here, helicopters flying around and everything," said Brandon Miller, who witnessed the dramatic end to the police chase.

Police also arrested a man who was found hiding about an hour after the incident and, upon being found, began running from police. Investigators are looking into whether the man was connected to the shooting.

In all police detained four people, then released two of them. Two men remain under arrest - an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old.

Police believe one gunman is responsible for the shooting, but they believe several people may have been involved. Investigators aren't sure whether they already have the gunman in custody.

Detectives recovered two handguns at the scene, one of which is believed to have been used in the shooting.

Officials locked down the shopping mall immediately after the shooting. At around 9 p.m. officials began allowing shoppers to leave the mall, but the man seen running from the scene of the crime sparked panic among the crowd. In an attempt to control the chaos, police locked down the mall again.

Police then began conducting a sweep of the mall, alerting people at each store of the latest developments. Officers patted down each person before letting him or her leave the mall in case additional suspects remain at large.

Police do not know whether the shooting was gang-related, and it is not known what sparked the fight between the two groups.

The investigation is ongoing.