At least one person was killed after a gunman opened fire in a Texas mall food court Wednesday, February 15, cops said.
The shooting happened at Cielo Vista Mall, right across a large parking lot from a Walmart where 23 people were killed in a racist attack in 2019 in El Paso, Texas, US.
Police said the shooting started around 5 p.m. at the Cielo Vista Mall in East El Paso. Officers said that four people, all men, were shot, one fatally.
Two of the victims were rushed to the hospital in critical condition while the condition of the third victim was not immediately known, according to Mirror.
Police said two men were taken into custody. A weapon was also found at the scene.
Former White House official Olivia Troye said her aunt – a survivor of the 2019 Walmart massacre – was inside Cielo Vista mall when the shooting started.
‘What is it going to take to enact change?’ Troye tweeted.
Officers said the shots immediately sparked a frenzy inside the massive mall.
‘It was chaotic. People did flee. They were scared,’ Sgt. Robert Gomez, who was inside when gunfire erupted, CNN told.
There was a heavy police presence outside the mall as detectives investigated the shooting.
‘Thank you to all law enforcement and first responders who quickly went into action to protect their fellow Texans,’ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted.
The Cielo Vista Mall is located in the same shopping center as the El Paso Walmart where Patrick Crusius gunned down 23 people in a racially motivated 2019 attack. Crusius pleaded guilty to the ghastly crime last week.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.
‘Today’s shooting at the Cielo Vista Mall has brought back traumatic memories for many of us. Please know you are not alone,’ Democratic US Rep. Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, said on Twitter.
The shooting is the latest in a series of mass shootings in the United States this year, claiming numerous lives.
