Taken from AP
COLUMBIA, South Carolina — Ten people were shot and wounded, and two others were injured in a shooting Saturday at a shopping mall in South Carolina's capital, in an attack authorities believe was not random.
Columbia Police Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook reported that three people in possession of firearms have been arrested in connection with Saturday afternoon’s shooting at the Columbiana Centre. He said at least one of those three people fired a weapon.
“We don’t believe this was random,” Holbrook emphasized. “We believe they knew each other and that something led to the shooting.”.
Authorities said no deaths have been reported, but eight of the victims were taken to the hospital. Of those eight, two were in critical condition and six were in stable condition, Holbrook said. The victims' ages ranged from 15 to 73, he said.
The mall was being evacuated store by store, and police asked anyone still sheltering there to call 911 so authorities could locate them.
Employees of a couple of stores, gathered in a nearly empty parking lot, said Saturday night that they hadn't heard or seen anything during the shooting, but followed the mall's alert protocols and were evacuated by police shortly afterward. They said they had been waiting for hours for police to allow them to enter the building to retrieve their car keys and personal belongings. They declined to give their names, citing company policy.
“Today’s isolated and senseless act of violence is deeply disturbing, and our thoughts are with all those affected,” Columbiana Centre said in a statement. “We are grateful for the swift response and continued support of our security team and law enforcement partners.”.
