At least five people have been shot at a Connecticut mall where at least one gunman opened fire Tuesday afternoon.
Waterbury Police have said the shooting at the Brass Mill Center began sometime before 4.40pm, when officers first responded to the scene for reports of a disturbance, ABC 7 reports.
Dramatic video from the scene showed people screaming while others run by.
One person could be heard saying, ‘He shot me,’ while another victim lying on the ground says ‘I can’t move. I can’t move. Somebody help me.’
Witness Fahd Syed’s son, who was working at the mall at the time of the shooting, also told CT Post how he saw one of the injured victims on the ground screaming for help.
But Syed said his son decided not to help the woman ‘because he didn’t know if he was going to get shot himself.’
As soon as the cops arrived, they found five people with gunshot wounds.
All of the victims were over the age of 18, and their injuries ranged in severity, Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said at a news conference.
At least five people were shot at the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury, Connecticut on Tuesday
Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said officers found five people suffering from gunshot wounds
‘All victims were transported to local hospitals and are currently undergoing medical treatment,’ he said, adding that no fatalities were reported.
The police chief went on to say that officers are now ‘following some very strong leads’ and claimed that there was no ongoing threat to public safety.
‘I think we’re safe right now,’ Spagnolo said. ‘I don’t feel that there’s any threat in the immediate area.’
He explained that the shooting appeared to be the result of a conflict that escalated quickly.
‘We do not believe this is a random act of violence,’ said Spagnolo, arguing that the shooter and others involved in the altercation likely knew each other.
The suspect is now believed to be a male in his 20s who was armed with a semi-automatic pistol.
He has not yet been apprehended by Waterbury police, and Spagnolo suggested Tuesday evening another individual may have assisted him in the shooting.
The gunman had apparently been looking for someone inside the JCPenney before he started firing, one witness told WFSB.
‘It was crazy and I tried to tell everybody to get out of there,’ Jayvon Turner recountd. ‘It was really emotional and crazy.’
Officers were working to evacuate the mall, going store-by-store
Troy Roshka told Fox 61 he was in the hair salon where his children were getting haircuts when he ‘heard five, six shots’ and saw police officers run past.
‘They locked us up right inside [the salon], cops were running inside the mall, they said “Please stay inside the store” and they are still looking for people, but it was a very scary situation with everybody running,’ Roshka recounted.
Police are now continuing to investigate the shooting, which Spagnolo said took place in a central area of the mall.
‘We have recovered some evidence that deals with a firearm, but I can’t go into further specifics right now,’ the police chief said, noting that the FBI and ATF were also working on gathering digital evidence.
Troy Roshka told Fox 61 he was in the hair salon where his children were getting haircuts when he ‘heard five, six shots’ and saw police officers run past
In the meantime, Spagnolo said officers were also working to clear the building, going store-to-store with K9 units.
At one point, he said officers found some people sheltering in place.
Those mall-goers were then escorted outside by local police.
‘The people that were in the mall… did an incredible job of keeping themselves and their family safe,’ Spagnolo told reporters.
In a statement following the shooting, Gov. Ned Lamont called the shooting ‘tragic’ and argued ‘everyone should feel safe’ at the mall.
‘We are grateful to law enforcement who acted quickly,’ the governor said, noting that the Connecticut State Police will now work with the Waterbury Police to investigate the incident.
‘Our hearts break for the Waterbury community, the victims and their families who have been impacted by this incident,’ Lamont added.