Sunday, January 26, 2014

Three dead in Maryland mall shooting

Mall shooting in Columbia, Maryland, leaves three dead

Armed police leave an entrance of the Columbia Mall after a shooting at the mall in Columbia, Maryland, January 25, 2014 The shooting took place at a popular shopping destination, not far from Washington DC

Three people have been killed in a shooting at a shopping centre in Maryland in the US, police say.

The deaths took place at a mall in the Baltimore suburb of Columbia.

Police found three people dead at the scene, including one - believed to be the shooter - who was near a gun and ammunition.

There is no further information about the victims or the motive for the attack.

The centre, about 45 minutes outside the US capital Washington DC, is a popular weekend shopping destination.

Shoppers are evacuated after a fatal shooting at Columbia Mall on January 25, 2014, in Columbia, Maryland People who had taken refuge in shops and restaurants when they heard gunfire were escorted out of the mall after the shooting had ended
Two shoppers leave the Columbia Mall after a fatal shooting on January 25, 2014, in Columbia, Maryland The mall was busy with Saturday shoppers when the incident took place

Officers say they believe the mall is now secure, and are escorting out groups of people who took shelter in shops and restaurants when they heard gunshots.

Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon said he was "very confident that it was a single shooter and there are no other shooters in the mall".

Shopper Tonya Broughton described the atmosphere as "panic" and said she and her friend headed for the nearest store, Victoria's Secret.

Shop employees herded everyone to the back, she told Reuters, adding "they were very nice, keeping us calm".

"They told us we were safe," she said.

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