Howard County authorities say there is an active shooter at the Mall in Columbia, and the mall is on lockdown. Click the link below for live updates
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Police respond to a shooting Saturday at the Mall in Columbia. (Peter Hermann/The Washington Post)
What we know and what we don't know
It has been nearly seven hours since a gunman opened fire inside a suburban mall. Here’s a rundown of what we know about today’s shooting and what we still don’t know.What we know:
- A man armed with a shotgun opened fire inside a Zumiez store on the Mall in Columbia’s upper level at around 11:15 a.m.
- Two people were killed, both of them Zumiez employees: Brianna Benlolo, 21, of College Park; and Tyler Johnson, 25, of Ellicott City.
- The two of them and the shooter were found dead from gunshot wounds when police arrived.
- The shooter has not been identified yet, as police are still working to make sure the ammunition he had does not still pose any danger.
- Police have not determined a motive yet.
- The mall was cleared of everyone who was sheltered inside after the shooting shortly before 4:30 p.m.
- Five people were taken to Howard County General Hospital. One had a gunshot wound to the foot, the other four suffered other non-gunshot-related injuries. All five were in good condition and were released shortly before 5:30 p.m.
- The mall will remain closed at least through the night, police said. Detectives are examining the crime scene now.
- The identity and motive of the shooter. William J. McMahon, the Howard County police chief, addressed reports that the shooting was a domestic issue during a news conference this afternoon, emphasizing that these reports are all speculative and that nothing has been confirmed yet. So we don’t know yet who the shooter was, why he opened fire, why in this particular store or why these particular people.
- Anything about the lives of the two Zumiez employees killed on Saturday.
- When people who evacuated the mall will be able to retrieve their personal belongings, which include house keys and laptops.
- When the mall will reopen, an issue that seems immaterial in the wake of a shooting but still matters to the employees of the mall’s 202 stores.
Three are dead in shooting at mall in Columbia, Md.
Howard County Police Chief William J. McMahon said that the three were killed in and outside an upper level skate store at the Mall in Columbia and that authorities are still working to unravel details of the shooting as well as to determine the identity of the shooter, who was identified only as being a man.
Graphic
Violence erupted at a suburban mall in
Columbia, Md. on Saturday morning, after a shooter emerged from among
weekend shoppers. Police confirmed that three people were left dead,
including one believed to be the shooter.
Scenes from the Mall in Columbia shooting
The Post's Emma Brown reports from the scene of the Mall in Columbia shooting.
Protecting yourself during a shooting
VIDEO | Former Navy SEAL offers tips for staying safe during an “active shooter” event.
McMahon said a motive for the shootings still is unclear.
“There are still a lot of details we need to confirm,” McMahon said, adding that police combed the mall for additional evidence but that police believe there were no additional shooters. Police searched the entire mall and have cleared it, though the mall is not scheduled to reopen this evening as police work through what officials described as a very large crime scene.
Police said a gun found near the suspected shooter was a shotgun and that the shootings took place at a skate shop called Zumiez on the mall’s upper level. They said Saturday afternoon that they had identified one of the victims and are working to notify family members before releasing the victim’s name. The two people who were killed by the shooter were an adult male and an adult female in their 20s, both of whom were employees at the store, McMahon said.
Howard County officials said five people who were injured at the mall Saturday morning are being treated at a local hospital, including one police said suffered a gunshot wound to the foot.
[Follow our liveblog for updates]
The mall, a suburban shopping center about 25 miles northeast of Washington, went on lockdown after police received reports of an active shooter at about 11:15 a.m. Shoppers and employees huddled in stores after the sound of gunshots ripped through the mall’s hallways on a cold morning.
Laura McKindles said she heard eight to 10 shots as she worked a travel timeshare booth on the second level overlooking the food court. At first she thought it was construction.
“People were yelling, ‘Someone’s got a gun,’ ” she said. “They were screaming.”
McKindles ran across the corridor into a perfume store and hid in a back room for about 90 minutes until police told them it was safe to emerge. She was with three other workers from her stall and the store
“I was praying,” she said. “I was thinking about my family, my dog.” She had left her cellphone at the kiosk and couldn’t call anyone to tell them she was okay until after she got out.
“I think this country is in a lot if trouble,” said McKindles, who moved to Columbia from Cockeysville, north of Baltimore, two months ago. “I mean, what possesses someone to, on a Saturday afternoon, in this cold, to come to a mall and shoot people? Why? I just can’t understand what motivates that.”
Police said that they have confirmed that the suspected shooter was located near a gun and ammunition but that they have not yet identified the person because they have been treating his body carefully because, though obviously dead, he appeared to be laden with ammunition. McMahon said police did not fire any weapons during the incident and that they believe the two victims were killed before the shooter shot himself.
Workers at stores in the mall said the building was on lockdown almost immediately after the shooting. An employee at Rafet’s Hairmasters, who declined to be identified, said she heard the shooting had taken place near the mall’s Sears store, which is adjacent to the food court.
Roger Aseneta, a manager at Auntie Anne’s pretzel shop, said he heard what he immediately recognized as gunshots around 11:15 a.m. He ushered his employees inside and locked the doors behind them. They went into a back room where, on a surveillance camera, they could see people running and screaming in the food court outside.
“It’s a case of people running for safety,” he said. “It’s a really terrible thing. I never thought I would experience this. ... I was shaking.”
Aseneta, 52, said the gunshots sounded like booms and he heard five or six of them from directly overhead of his shop on the upper level. He guessed that they came from a clothing shop on the upper level called Zumiez.
At 12:30 p.m., police led frightened shoppers and workers out of the mall entrance at the food court. Many were without coats, and police and paramedics ushered those without cars, many shivering and some holding babies, into warm vans from Howard and Anne Arundel county fire departments. Some held hands and were crying.
Police officers guarded each entrance off Little Patuxent Parkway to keep people away from the nearly empty parking lots.
Solon Jimez was working at a beauty salon when he said he heard the gunshots. “We saw people running,” he said. “It was very bad.”
Candace Johnson was shopping in the mall’s Forever 21 store when she heard a commotion, then saw 30 people “panicking and screaming and kind of running” toward her from the area of the food court and the Sears department store. The 24-year-old from Columbia said she immediately went to the back of the store and got down as employees pulled shut the gates.
“It’s just kind of nerve-wracking,” she said.
Johnson said she waited for about two hours, huddled with a dozen or so other customers and Forever 21 employees as they received periodic updates over the phone from mall security. She said police seemed to be clearing the mall store-by-store, starting with those businesses near the Sears on the ground level.
Lori Aratani, Jenna Johnson and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
One victim shot in foot, taken to hospital
The Howard County police are reporting that a victim from the mall who was shot in the foot is being treated at Howard County General Hospital.Police: Motive still unknown
A shattered peace
Howard County Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty (West Columbia), who represents the district where the mall is located, praised law enforcement officials for responding quickly to news of the shooting.“I live right next to the mall and all of a sudden things were happening – there were helicopters, sirens everywhere,” she said. “We had people in here almost immediately.”
Sigaty, who lives about a quarter-mile from the scene, said like many in Columbia she often goes to the mall to walk or shop.
“It’s just part of our routine,” she said. “My heart goes out to the families and the loved ones of the three victims,” she said. “It’s a horrible to think you kissed your [loved one] goodbye and now … ”
She added: “This is the kind of thing that really shatters your peace and your sense of security.”
— Lori Aratani
SWAT team approaches the mall
Here’s a look at the scene outside the mall right now, as a SWAT team heads inside:Looking for family and friends
As news of the shooting spread, Marylanders and others tweeted that they had safely located friends or family members, especially those who work at the mall.Some shared stories of relief, glad that they decided not to go shopping today or that they had been delayed by something else. Some are still looking, tweeting at mutual friends and sharing their worries with the world. One woman tweeted that she had located a friend who lives near the mall but was still waiting to hear from another. “Trying to hold a panic attack at bay,” she tweeted.
— Jenna Johnson
Panic and screaming inside the mall
Candace Johnson was shopping in the mall’s Forever 21 store when she heard a commotion, then saw 30 people “panicking and screaming” and running toward her from the area of the food court and the Sears department store.The 24-year-old from Columbia said she immediately went to the back of the store and got down as employees pulled shut the gates.
“It’s just kind of nerve wracking,” she said.
Johnson said she waited for about two hours, huddled with a dozen or so other customers and employees of the Forever 21 as they received periodic updates over the phone from mall security. She said police seemed to be clearing the mall store-by-store, starting with those businesses near the Sears on the ground level.
— Matt Zapotosky
Shooting occurred in one store
While police haven’t revealed details yet about the nature of the shooting earlier today, William J. McMahon, Howard County’s police chief, said during a news conference moments ago that the shooting “took place in one store at one time.”Authorities said they cannot say yet whether this was a targeted act or a random shooting.
The news conference just wrapped up. There is another scheduled for 4 p.m.
Police: A single shooter
“We are confident that it was a single shooter,” said William J. McMahon, chief of Howard County police.
Maryland
State Police patrol the Columbia Mall after a fatal shooting on
Saturday in Columbia, Maryland. Three people were killed in a shooting
at the shopping mall, located about 45 minutes outside Washington. (Jim
Watson/AFP/Getty Images)
No details yet on exact location
The shooting occurred on the upper level of the mall at a store, said William J. McMahon, chief of Howard County police, during the news conference. But he wouldn’t go into additional details about where or the nature of the shooting, repeatedly discussing how early it is in the investigation.Police don't believe there's another shooter
The three people slain at the mall were found on the upper level, said William J. McMahon, chief of Howard County police.“Right now, we think that one of the deceased is in fact the shooter,” he said.
He added that they don’t believe there is another shooter in the mall.
But he warned that it would take time to fully clear the mall and allow everyone to leave, owing to the number of people at a suburban mall on a Saturday afternoon.
“When something like this happens, people run in many different directions,” he said.
In addition, he said people seek shelter. As a result, clearing the mall will take time.
News briefing underway at mall
“This has obviously been a tremendously trying few hours,” Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said during a news briefing.He said there would be another news briefing at 4 p.m.
Police: Two taken to hospital
Two people with minor injuries not directly related to the shooting were taken to Howard County General Hospital, police said. There were no other injuries reported, according to police."They were screaming"
More than an hour after the shooting at the mall, police were leading frightening shoppers and workers out of the mall entrance at the food court. Many of the people ushered out of the mall were without coats, many shivering and some holding babies, and those without cars were taken into warm vans from Howard and Anne Arundel County fire departments.A parking lot that would normally be packed with people fighting for spaces was instead largely empty, save for the emergency vehicles. Police guarded each entrance off of Little Patuxent Parkway to keep people away.
Laura McKindles said she heard eight to 10 shots as she worked a travel time share booth on the second level overlooking the food court. At first she thought it was construction.
“People were yelling, ‘Someone’s got a gun,’” she said. “They were screaming.”
She ran across the corridor into a perfume store and hid in a back room for about 90 minutes until police got them.
“I think this country is in a lot if trouble,” said McKindles. “I mean, what possesses someone to, on a Saturday afternoon, in this cold, to come to a mall and shoot people? Why? I just can’t understand what motivates that.”
— Peter Hermann
VIDEO: SWAT team moves into mall
Here’s a video taken of a SWAT team approaching the mall:[via] bexsman
http://instagram.com/p/jmdSE4Q9Zj/#
Photo: Police, news gather at mall
No reports of shots since suspected shooter found
There have been no reports of shots fired since the body of the suspected shooter was found, according to the Howard County police.Police are still asking people inside the mall to remain in place until the police can clear the mall and guide them out. This could take a few hours, according to police.
The police also said that detectives haven’t confirmed the identities of anyone killed yet, adding that they don’t know the motive yet.
The scene outside the mall
Law enforcement officials are gathering and strapping on weapons and helmets in an area of the parking lot near Sears that is cordoned off with caution tape.There are a number of ambulances and other emergency vehicles near the entrance to J. C. Penney. Two helicopters are stationed overhead and a crowd of news media are gathering for a police briefing set for 1:15 p.m.
— Emma Brown
Map of the mall
Here’s a look at the layout of the Mall in Columbia. Right
Live updates: Shooting at the Mall in Columbia
Police have confirmed that a fatal shooting occurred at the Mall in Columbia on Saturday morning. We’re bringing you the latest updates here.
Line of police cars heads to mall
A line of police cars with lights and sirens, along with an Anne Arundel County Police mobile crime unit, are speeding along Maryland Route 97 toward Columbia.— Jenna Johnson
Some details about the mall
The Mall in Columbia began a major expansion in 2013, adding 70,000 additional square feet of retail and restaurant space.It has 202 stores, including Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor and jcpenney’s. The mall has undergone several renovations since it opened in 1971. It is owned by Chicago-based General Growth Properties, which also owns Tysons Galleria.
— Lori Aratani
Live video from the mall
CNN is airing live video footage from the Mall in Columbia right now.Media briefing called for 1:15 p.m.
Howard County police say they will conduct a media briefing at 1:15 p.m. at the mall, which should provide additional information about what authorities know so far.What we know so far
Here’s a rundown of what we know so far about the shooting at the Mall in Columbia this morning:- Three people are dead, according to Howard County police
- One of the three is believed to be the suspected shooter, police say
- The shooting was reported in a 911 call that came in at 11:15 a.m.
- Emergency responders and police are on the scene and they say no additional shots have been fired
- The mall remains locked down as police search it, but the authorities say the mall is secure
Latest updates
Live updates: Shooting at the Mall in Columbia
Police have confirmed that a fatal shooting occurred at the Mall in Columbia on Saturday morning. We’re bringing you the latest updates here.
What we know so far
Here’s a rundown of what we know so far about the shooting at the Mall in Columbia this morning:- Three people are dead, according to Howard County police
- One of the three is believed to be the suspected shooter, police say
- The shooting was reported in a 911 call that came in at 11:15 a.m.
- Emergency responders and police are on the scene and they say no additional shots have been fired
- The mall remains locked down as police search it, but the authorities say the mall is secure
Mall remains locked down
Workers at stores in the mall said the building was still on lockdown as of 12:35 p.m. An employee at Rafet’s Hairmasters, who declined to be identified, said she heard the shooting had taken place near the mall’s Sears store, which is adjacent to the food court.— Emma Brown and Lori Aratani
Photo: Emergency responders at the mall
Police: Remain in place
Howard County police are asking people inside the Mall in Columbia to remain in place until officers can check out and clear each area of the mall.Suspected shooter is dead
Howard County police say they believe one of those slain in the shooting at Columbia Mall was the shooter.Police say scene is secure
The first call about shots fired at the Mall in Columbia came in at about 11:15 a.m, according to police.Police said shortly after 12:30 p.m. that there had been no recent shots fired and that the scene was secure.
Police: Remain in place
Howard County police are asking people inside the Mall in Columbia to remain in place until the police can check out and clear each area of the mall.Shooting in Columbia
Three people are dead after a shooting at the Mall in Columbia this morning, Howard County police confirmed. The police report that one of the three people was found near a gun and ammunition, but there is no information yet about the identities of these people.Police and fire officials are on the scene, but no other details were immediately available, said Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Denise Weist. She said authorities received the first reports of the shooter at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday morning.
Mall in Columbia on lockdown; police say three are dead
Police said that the mall is “believed to be secure” but those inside have been instructed to wait for further guidance from authorities.
Police and fire officials are on the scene, but few details were immediately available, said Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Denise Weist. She said authorities received the first reports of the shooter at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday morning.
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