A shooting at a Spirit Halloween store in the Bay Area on Halloween Eve left one person dead and six others injured.
The gunfire erupted at approximately 8:30 p.m. Friday inside the seasonal store at Solano Town Center mall in Fairfield, California, Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall said at a news conference.
One victim died at the scene. The six injured people were transported to a hospital, where three remained in critical condition.
Authorities have not released a description of the suspected shooter or confirmed whether more than one person may have been involved.
Police have also not disclosed a possible motive for the Fairfield shooting.
“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,” police said in a statement.
The store was operating with customers inside when the shots were fired, triggering a frantic rush as shoppers ran for safety.
One witness told KCRA that his wife heard gunfire before seeing people flee, scream and cry. “Well, she just told me she heard some shots and the people running, yelling and crying already,” he said.
According to the witness, his wife heard approximately seven shots before people in the store began racing away from the danger.
The temporary Spirit Halloween shop occupies the former Best Buy location inside the mall, which features roughly 130 stores.
The shooting at the Fairfield Halloween store occurred just hours after a separate fatal shooting at a Spirit Halloween location in Michigan.
The Madison Heights Police Department said an unidentified 21-year-old victim was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds at the store shortly after 2 p.m.
A second 21-year-old, who police suspect in the killing, was assaulted by bystanders and taken to a hospital while in police custody.