Gunfire Erupts at California Shopping Center, Toll Rises
San Francisco, October 31: A violent shooting at a shopping mall in California has claimed the life of one person and injured six more, police have confirmed.
The shooting happened on Friday at a mall in Fairfield known as Solano Town Center. Fairfield Police Department Chief Dan Marshall spoke to the press about the events inside the complex.
Marshall explained that police were alerted to gunfire at a Spirit Halloween store located inside the Solano Town Center at roughly 8:30 p.m. local time. That is 3:30 a.m. GMT on Saturday, or 9 a.m. in India. Officers responded to the location without delay.
Police said one man was killed by a gunshot. Six others were transported to nearby hospitals, where three remain in critical condition.
“We extend our thoughts and prayers to the families of the victims of this heartbreaking tragedy,” Marshall said in his remarks.
The California Highway Patrol joined local police in controlling traffic and clearing the shopping center's buildings.
Investigators are speaking with witnesses and working to identify the person or persons responsible. Evidence collection at the scene continues. Police have appealed to the public to share any relevant information with the department.
Marshall said his team was working tirelessly to identify the suspect or suspects behind the terrifying attack.
According to NBC News, the wife of the deceased man was inside the store when the attacker began shooting. She got out through an emergency exit together with other people and went home, where she is currently in shock. She said she heard “five loud bangs.”
The California incident followed a fatal shooting only hours earlier inside a Spirit Halloween store in Madison Heights, Michigan. Police in that city reported that a 21-year-old man from Detroit was badly wounded, taken to a local hospital, and died while receiving treatment.
Police said the attacker in the California case was apprehended with help from people who were on the scene.