Police have confirmed an investigation is underway after a 16-year-old boy was knifed during a 'disturbance' between two groups of teenagers at Manchester's Arndale Centre.
Cops were called to the shopping centre at around 7.20pm on Friday (January 28).
Groups of teenagers were seen fighting at the entrance to the Next store.
Footage seen by the Manchester Evening News shows people shouting and screaming before running from the store.
A boy, 16, was taken to hospital after being stabbed.
His injuries were 'neither life-changing nor threatening', Greater Manchester Police said.
A couple of other teenagers suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital, but have since been discharged.
"The offending group left the scene prior to police arrival," the force said in a statement.
No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.
Speaking to the M.E.N, the victim's father said his son was set upon by a gang of strangers and was 'lucky to be alive'.
He said his son was inside the Arndale with his friends when he was approached by a 'random' girl at about 7pm.
"They were just going for a bite to eat and to do shop shopping," he said.
"A girl asked for directions to a shop and he pointed it out. She went and brought all these lads over. There were about 20 of them.
"They asked if he was being cheeky and he said he had not done anything wrong. It all escalated from there.
"One of them kicked him in the neck then all hell broke loose.
"They went into Next and these other lads ran through the security and set about them again, throwing bottles.
"They cornered them and this lad ran over and stabbed him in the chest."
The man said he received a phone call informing that his son had been stabbed shortly before 7.30pm.
"It was horrendous," he said.
"That phone call comes and it's the worst experience of your life.
"The doctor said a millimetre either way and it would've hit an artery and we'd have been having a different conversation. He's lucky to be alive."
Images from the scene showed several police vans and an ambulance outside Next, at the junction of Withy Grove and Corporation Street.
Inspector Glen Rees of GMP's City of Manchester division said: "I fully understand and sympathise with the worry and concern that incidents such as this can cause for the wider public, especially in such a busy area on a Friday evening.
"I would like to stress that we are treating this as an isolated incident and we do not believe there to be any ongoing wider threat to the general public.
"Thankfully the young man who was stabbed has not suffered any life changing injuries but violence such as this will not be tolerated and a full investigation is currently underway to establish the full circumstances and identify those involved.
"Our enquiries are ongoing but I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the assault or has any information to come forward and assist us with our investigation.
"This was a busy part of the city centre so I am confident there will be people out there who can help us identify those responsible."
An Arndale spokesman said: “We can confirm that a serious incident took place at the centre on Friday 28th January. This isolated incident is under investigation by the police and we are supporting and assisting them with their enquiries. Our thoughts are with the injured person and their family at this time.”
Anyone with information - or video footage - should contact police via our LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk or 101 quoting incident 2488 of 28/01/21. Alternatively, details can be passed via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
