Police are looking for the gunman who opened fire and shot several people inside a New England mall on Tuesday.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo informed reporters just after 7 p.m. Tuesday that the gunman, thought to be in his 20s, was equipped with a semi-automatic pistol when gunshots erupted inside the Brass Mill Center mall at 495 Union St. in Waterbury.
There have been no arrests made.
Five individuals were shot. Investigators suspect the shooter and his victims knew one other, Spagnolo added.
“We do not believe this was a random act of violence,” Spagnolo stated. “We believe it began as a quarrel and escalated. We do know that there was one gunman, who has been identified. The gunman was armed with a semi-automatic weapon.”
There have been no fatalities reported at this time. The victims’ injuries and status were not immediately known.
“Some are more serious than others,” Spagnolo stated about the victims’ health.
Spagnolo stated that his department is working with state and federal law enforcement to apprehend the gunman. According to him, investigators include state and municipal police as well as federal officers from the FBI and ATF.
Police are combing the area with K9s. The incident took place in the mall’s center area.
“We’re going store by store, very methodical, making sure we just cover every nook and cranny,” Spagnolo told reporters.
He stated that authorities are searching through sites where the gunman entered and fled the mall. Police are investigating CCTV footage and other material.
“I do not believe the public is in danger. If anyone notices anything odd or out of the norm, we advise them to contact their local police department or the Waterbury Police Department,” Spagnolo stated.
Some others were compelled to seek refuge in place after the mall shooting.
Spagnolo stated that both mall customers and mall employees “did an incredible job of keeping themselves” and others safe.
“I think they mitigated a lot of what could have been a very bad incident here,” he told reporters.
“These acts happen, sadly. It is the society in which we sometimes live. “But we can’t let it bring us down,” Spagnolo remarked. “We just have to make sure that forge forward and we are just very aware of our surroundings and we stay safe.”
Police issued a Facebook post earlier Tuesday urging the public to avoid the area.
“We urge the public to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to respond effectively and ensure everyone’s safety,” according to police.
Waterbury is approximately 33 miles southwest of Hartford. According to the 2020 Census, the city’s population was 114,403.