CNN
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One person is dead and three others injured after a shooting Wednesday evening at the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas, according to police.
“We have one person in custody. We do believe there could be one outstanding. That’s why the extensive search of the mall is being done right now,” said Sgt. Robert Gomez of the El Paso Police Department.
Police did not comment on a possible motive and did not provide details on the conditions of the three victims who were hospitalized.
“It was chaotic. People did flee. They were scared,” said Gomez.
The mall is immediately adjacent to a Walmart where a shooting in 2019 killed 23 and left nearly two dozen more injured.
So far this year, there have been more than 70 mass shootings across the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Both CNN and GVA define a “mass shooting” as a shooting that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter.
Police responded to the Cielo Vista Mall Wednesday afternoon after receiving several reports of a possible active shooter, Gomez said. Authorities asked people to avoid the area as the scene was still active.
The scene was later secured but police were still working to clear the mall, Gomez said, noting that it may take some time given the size of the shopping center.
Robert Gonzalez was in the mall and told CNN he “saw people running to the exit.”
Videos taken by Gonzalez show several mall storefronts closed with their security gates down and several law enforcement vehicles outside as an ambulance arrives.
Gonzalez said he was able to make it safely to his car, where he was waiting to leave as he spoke with CNN. He recalled the 2019 mass shooting, saying today’s experience “just brought back bad memories.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
