Gunman sought after multiple people shot inside New England mall, police say

WATERBURY, Conn. — Police are seeking the gunman who opened fire and shot multiple people inside a New England mall on Tuesday.

The gunman, believed to be in his 20s, was armed with a semi-automatic pistol when gunfire erupted inside the Brass Mill Center mall at 495 Union St. in Waterbury, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo told reporters shortly after 7 p.m. Tuesday.

No arrests have been made.

Five people were shot. Investigators believe the shooter and his victims knew each other, Spagnolo said.

“We do not believe this was a random act of violence,” Spagnolo said. “We believe this started as a conflict and it escalated. We do know that there was one gunman at this time we’ve identified. That gunman was armed with a semi automatic pistol.”

No fatalities have been reported at this time. The extent of the victims’ injuries and their conditions were not immediately known.

“Some are more serious than others,” Spagnolo said of the victims’ conditions.

Spagnolo said his department is working with state and federal law enforcement to apprehend the gunman. Investigators include state and local police and federal agents with the FBI and ATF, he said.

Police are using K9s to comb the area. The shooting happened in the central area of the mall.

“We’re going store by store, very methodical, making sure we just cover every nook and cranny,” Spagnolo said.

He said investigators are combing through locations where the gunman entered and exited the mall. Police are reviewing surveillance video and other evidence.

“I don’t believe that the public is in danger. If anyone sees anything suspicious or out of the ordinary we do encourage them to call their local police department or the Waterbury Police Department,” Spagnolo said.

The mall shooting forced some people to shelter in place.

Spagnolo said both mall patrons and mall staff “did an incredible job at keeping themselves” and others safe.

“I think they mitigated a lot of what could have been a very bad incident here,” he said.

“These acts occur, unfortunately. It’s the society that we live in at times. But we can’t let it get us down,” Spagnolo said. “We just have to make sure that forge forward and we are just very aware of our surroundings and we stay safe.”

Earlier Tuesday, in a Facebook post, police urged the public to avoid the area.

“We urge the public to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to respond effectively and ensure everyone’s safety,” police said.

Waterbury is about 33 miles southwest of Hartford. The city had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 Census.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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