Shooting at a Tacoma mall leaves one injured

Several shots of unknown origin were heard the day before in a shopping center in Washington state, packed with shoppers for Black Friday, leaving one person seriously injured and causing panic among hundreds more, who hid inside the stores, reported the authorities.

Authorities said the shooting occurred in Tacoma, south of Seattle, after 7:00 p.m. in an area near the mall’s restaurant area. One person shot was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, Tacoma police said.

Until Saturday no one had been detained.

Upon hearing the shots, many of the shoppers at the Tacoma Mall took refuge in the premises or hid inside the stores, which closed immediately.

More than 60 police officers from Tacoma, Pierce County, Lakewood, Puyallup and the Washington State Patrol attended the scene.

Just after 7 p.m. there was a shooting at the Tacoma Mall. Police have responded and are clearing the mall. All unaccompanied juveniles are being brought to the Tacoma Mall Transit Center, 2100 blk of S 48th St., to be picked up. The mall is closed. pic.twitter.com/5Kegoa9KOi

— Tacoma Police Department (@TacomaPD) November 27, 2021

Police entered the mall to conduct a “coordinated search,” said Pierce County Sheriff Sgt. Darren Moss.

Fredrick Hoskins was shopping with his daughter when he heard the shots. “There was boom, boom, boom… boom, boom, boom. Maybe like six shots, ”Hoskins, who served in the military, told The News Tribune. “It sounded like a revolver, and it sounded like a single shooter.”

The Tacoma Mall is the largest mall in the city and has more than 100 stores.