Police in the US are searching for a gunman after a shooting which left eight injured in a shopping mall.
The suspect fled the scene by the time police arrived at the Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Seven adults and a teenager were injured in the shooting, which took place at 2.50pm local time on Friday. The extent of their injuries was unknown.
Preliminary statements from witnesses indicate that the shooter is a white male in his 20s or 30s,” Wauwatosa Police chief Barry Weber told reporters.
No motive has been given for the shooting.
Mr Weber said: “Investigators are working on determining the identity of that suspect.”
The chief called the mall an active crime scene and asked people to continue to stay away. He said the mall would remain closed until further notice.
Witnesses told WISN-TV that they had heard what they believed to be eight to 12 gunshots.
Some people remained in the mall while police searched for a suspect. The station interviewed several people outside the mall who said they had friends sheltered inside stores while the search was ongoing.
Jill Wooley was inside Macy’s with her 79-year-old mother when they heard eight to 12 gunshots just outside the store entrance.
“We heard the first shot fired and knew immediately it was a gunshot,” Ms Wooley told CBS58 in Milwaukee. “We both just dropped to the floor.”
Ms Wooley said she did not see anyone but the shots were “very close”. She added that they ran in the opposite direction to the basement of the store, where they then hid.
Trish Cox’s 19-year-old nephew works at Finish Line sporting goods store.
She said she was worried because the store’s phone was not being answered and was frantic as she waited while FBI agents cleared the mall.
An agent who would not give his name said the mall was being “methodically” cleared. Heavily armed FBI personnel were visible at the mall.
Mall operator Brookfield Properties said in a statement they were “disheartened and angered that our guests and tenants were subject to this violent incident today”. They declined further comment.
