'Armed subject' fatally shot at packed US shopping mall

Panic erupted at a US mall packed with Christmas Eve shoppers Thursday, where one person was killed after what police described as "an officer-involved shooting."

The shooting at the Northlake Mall in Charlotte, North Carolina occurred following an altercation between two groups, according to a police department press release.

"An argument started inside the mall between two groups of subjects... at which point officers who were working off-duty at the mall arrived on scene, according to a statement released by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police.

"There was one armed subject that was shot during the altercation and he was pronounced deceased on scene," according to the statement, which added that no officers were injured during the incident.

Authorities did not say whether the deceased subject was killed by police or by another person during the altercation.

Frantic shoppers reportedly ran out of stores seeking shelter during the shooting, with one woman telling local television station WBTV that she hid in a storage room.