Federal agents are assisting local authorities after a gunman opened fire inside a Spirit Halloween store at a Bay Area shopping center Friday night, killing one person and injuring six others.
The FBI’s Sacramento field office said early Saturday that its Evidence Response Team had been sent to the Solano Town Center on Gateway Boulevard to help the Fairfield Police Department process the extensive crime scene. The mall is located roughly 45 miles northeast of San Francisco.
Police were dispatched to the store, located inside the shopping complex, at approximately 8:30 p.m.
Responding officers found seven victims with gunshot wounds.
One person died at the scene. The six surviving victims were transported to nearby hospitals, and at least three were reported to be in critical condition Saturday.
The gunman had escaped before officers arrived and had not been apprehended.
Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall said investigators were still working to establish the number of shots fired, determine whether the attack was targeted and learn whether a single suspect or several suspects were involved.
Authorities said they did not believe the public faced an ongoing threat. However, the shopping center remained an active crime scene Saturday while detectives interviewed witnesses and worked to identify the person or people responsible.
“This is still a very active crime scene. Detectives are speaking with witnesses and diligently working to identify the suspect responsible for this horrific shooting,” the Fairfield Police Department said in a statement.
Police from Suisun City and officers with the California Highway Patrol joined the response, helping secure the perimeter of the 130-store shopping center.
Tactical teams searched buildings across the complex, including the nearby Regal Edwards movie theater. People attending an evening screening were questioned as officers carried out security checks from store to store.
The Spirit Halloween shop was operating in the space previously occupied by Best Buy.
Witnesses said they heard several gunshots in quick succession before shoppers fled into nearby parking lots and connecting walkways.
One witness told KCRA that his wife, who was inside the store, described hearing “like five, six, seven shots” as people ran to safety.
Another witness said a store employee took refuge in a neighboring restaurant after reporting that an armed person had entered the store and begun shooting.
The Fairfield shooting occurred only hours after another fatal incident at a Spirit Halloween store in Madison Heights, Michigan. Police said a 21-year-old Detroit man was killed Friday afternoon after an argument with an acquaintance.
A 21-year-old Oak Park man with a concealed pistol license was arrested at the scene after bystanders intervened. Michigan authorities said the shooting was targeted and that there was no continuing danger to the public.
