At least one person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting at Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
One person has been arrested, El Paso Police Department spokesman Sgt. The other suspect remains at large, Robert Gomez said at a news conference. No details have been released about the suspect in custody.
“At this time, it’s too early to discuss or speculate what the motive of the shooter or the reason for the shooting was,” Gomez said.
El Paso police respond to shooting inside Cielo Vista Mall
Around 5:10 p.m., the police received several calls. Gomez said there were reports of gunfire at the mall, and several units immediately responded.
Gomez was asked about unverified footage shared on social media of people fleeing the scene. “It was chaotic,” he replied. “They were scared.”
Local law enforcement officials are currently clearing the mall, gathering witnesses, and reuniting with families, Gomez said.
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Ryan Mielke, a spokesman for University Medical Center, the hospital where the victims were taken, told local media that two patients were in critical condition after the shooting.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted on Twitter that he had spoken with El Paso Mayor Oscar Lesser about the shooting, and offered to help state agencies respond to the “tragic incident.”
The incident on Wednesday happened near the Walmart store where 23 people were killed in August 2019 in the worst mass shooting in modern American history. The gunman pleaded guilty to 90 federal charges earlier this month.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 70 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2023, which defines a mass shooting as a shooting that kills or injures at least four people, which Does not include a shooter. Earlier this week, a mass shooting at Michigan State University left 3 students dead and 5 in critical condition at the hospital.
