The FBI has joined local law enforcement to investigate after a gunman opened fire inside a Spirit Halloween store at a Bay Area mall Friday night, leaving one person dead and six others injured.
The FBI’s Sacramento field office confirmed early Saturday that it deployed its Evidence Response Team to assist the Fairfield Police Department with processing the sprawling crime scene at the Solano Town Centeron Gateway Boulevard, approximately 45 miles northeast of San Francisco.
Authorities were called to the retailer inside the shopping center around 8:30 p.m.
Officers discovered seven people suffering from gunshot wounds.
One victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while six others were taken to area hospitals, where at least three remained in critical condition Saturday.
The shooter fled the area before police arrived and remains at large.
Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall told reporters that detectives have not yet determined how many shots were fired, whether the incident was targeted, or if they are looking for one suspect or multiple people.
Authorities emphasized that they do not believe there is an immediate threat to the public, though the complex remained an active crime scene Saturday as detectives interviewed witnesses and worked to identify whoever was responsible.
“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,” the Fairfield Police Department said in a statement.
Officers from the Suisun City Police Department and the California Highway Patrol also responded to secure the perimeter of the 130-store commercial center.
Tactical units conducted clearing operations throughout the complex, including the nearby Regal Edwards cinema, where moviegoers attending an evening screening were questioned during store-by-store security sweeps.
The Spirit Halloween location had temporarily occupied the retail space formerly operated by Best Buy.
Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots in rapid succession before patrons evacuated into the surrounding parking areas and adjoining concourses.
“I think she told that there was like five, six, seven shots when people were running,” one witness told KCRA, recounting a phone call from his wife, who had been inside the retail store when the shooting started.
Another individual reported that a store employee sought shelter in an adjacent restaurant, stating that an armed individual entered the premises and opened fire.
The incident in Fairfield came just hours after a separate, fatal shooting unfolded at a Spirit Halloween in Madison Heights, Michigan, where a 21-year-old Detroit man was fatally shot Friday afternoon following an argument with an acquaintance.
Police arrested a 21-year-old concealed pistol license holder from Oak Park at the scene after bystanders intervened. Authorities in Michigan emphasized that the shooting was targeted and presented no continuing public threat.
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