Gunshots have rung out at a Washington state mall packed with shoppers, seriously wounding one person and panicking hundreds of others who hid inside stores as the mall went into lockdown.
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Authorities said the shooting in Tacoma, south of Seattle, was reported just after 7pm on Friday at an area near the mall's food court.
The person shot was taken to hospital with serious injuries, Tacoma Police said.
No suspects have been arrested.
After the shots rang out at Tacoma Mall, shoppers sheltered in place or hid inside stores, which immediately went into lockdown.
More than 60 law enforcement officers from Tacoma, Pierce County, Lakewood, Puyallup and the Washington State Patrol responded.
Pierce County Sheriff's Sgt. Darren Moss said police went in to conduct a coordinated search of the mall.
Fredrick Hoskins was shopping with his daughter inside the mall when he heard gunfire.
"There was a boom, boom, boom . boom, boom, boom. Maybe like six shots," Hoskins, who previously served in the military, told The News Tribune.
"It sounded like a revolver, and it sounded like one shooter."
The Tacoma Mall is the city's largest shopping mall, with more than 100 stores.
Australian Associated Press
