At least five people were shot and several others injured after a gunman opened fire at a Connecticut mall on Tuesday afternoon. Gunfire rang out at the Brass Mill Center shortly before 4:40 p.m., striking five people who were transported to nearby hospitals, WTNH reported, citing Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski, Jr.
Police said that the shooting started after a dispute escalated into a violent confrontation at the 1.1-million-square-foot mall. Officials said at a press conference that this was not a "random act of violence." The suspect is a man in his 20s who used a semi-automatic handgun. Dramatic footage from the scene captured people screaming as others ran for shelter.
Mayhem Inside Mall
One person was heard shouting, "He shot me," while another victim lying on the floor cried out, "I can't move. I can't move. Somebody help me." Fahd Syed told the CT Post that his son, who was working at the mall during the shooting, saw one of the wounded victims on the ground calling for help.
However, Syed said his son chose not to help the injured woman, "because he didn't know if he was going to get shot himself."
When officers arrived on the scene, they found five people with gunshot wounds. According to Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo, all of the victims were adults over the age of 18, and the severity of their injuries varied.
"All victims were transported to local hospitals and are currently undergoing medical treatment," he said, adding that no fatalities were reported.
The police chief said that investigators are currently following "some very strong leads" and assured the public that there is no continued threat to safety. "I think we're safe right now," Spagnolo said. "I don't feel that there's any threat in the immediate area."
He said that the incident appeared to stem from an argument that soon turned violent. "We do not believe this is a random act of violence," said Spagnolo, adding that the gunman and others involved in the altercation likely knew each other.
Bigger Danger Avoided
Authorities believe the suspect is a man in his 20s who was carrying a semi-automatic pistol. As of Tuesday evening, Waterbury police had not yet arrested him, and Spagnolo suggested that another person might have been involved in helping carry out the shooting.
According to a witness who spoke to WFSB, the shooter appeared to be looking for someone inside the JCPenney store before opening fire.
"It was crazy and I tried to tell everybody to get out of there," Jayvon Turner recounted. "It was really emotional and crazy."
Police are actively continuing their investigation into the shooting, which Spagnolo said occurred in a main section 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, adding that both the FBI and ATF are assisting in gathering digital evidence.
