Multiple shots were fired inside a northern New Jersey mall shortly before closing time, and the search was on today for the suspected shooter, a Bergen County official said. There was no report of injuries.
Bergen County spokeswoman Jeanne Baratta told The Associated Press that authorities believe the suspected shooter is still in the Garden State Plaza Mall early today.
She said SWAT teams have concentrated their search in the northeast corner of the 200,000-square-meter mall in Paramus, New Jersey, near a Nordstrom store.
Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said in a news release today that the suspect was dressed in black and was wearing what is believed to be a motorcycle helmet. A weapon has not yet been recovered.
Witnesses said the sound of gunfire sent customers and employees rushing for the exits and hiding places.
Baratta said authorities found one bullet casing.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers converged on the mall, which was put on lockdown. New Jersey State Police landed a helicopter in the parking lot of one of the state's largest and most popular shopping malls.
Baratta said SWAT teams and police with canine units were going through the mall and working to evacuate anyone still inside. As of early today, authorities believed there were still people in the mall, she said.
Nick Woods was working in the Lego store when a woman ran by shouting that there was a shooting.
Woods said his supervisor locked them in a back room, along with a woman, a man and a child. When they finally peeked out two hours later, he said they saw police officers standing outside and he called the police emergency dispatcher to ask that the officers be told they were coming out.
He said the emergency operator told him she couldn't contact individual police officers and that he should walk out with his hands in the air.
"I had to go out of the store shouting at the officers with my hands up, and they turned and pointed their guns at me," Woods said. "It was one of the scariest experiences of my life.
Bergen County spokeswoman Jeanne Baratta told The Associated Press that authorities believe the suspected shooter is still in the Garden State Plaza Mall early today.
She said SWAT teams have concentrated their search in the northeast corner of the 200,000-square-meter mall in Paramus, New Jersey, near a Nordstrom store.
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Baratta said a call was received saying shots were fired at the facility shortly before the mall's 9:30 pm closing time last night.
Paramus Police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said in a news release today that the suspect was dressed in black and was wearing what is believed to be a motorcycle helmet. A weapon has not yet been recovered.
Witnesses said the sound of gunfire sent customers and employees rushing for the exits and hiding places.
Baratta said authorities found one bullet casing.
Hundreds of law enforcement officers converged on the mall, which was put on lockdown. New Jersey State Police landed a helicopter in the parking lot of one of the state's largest and most popular shopping malls.
Baratta said SWAT teams and police with canine units were going through the mall and working to evacuate anyone still inside. As of early today, authorities believed there were still people in the mall, she said.
Nick Woods was working in the Lego store when a woman ran by shouting that there was a shooting.
Woods said his supervisor locked them in a back room, along with a woman, a man and a child. When they finally peeked out two hours later, he said they saw police officers standing outside and he called the police emergency dispatcher to ask that the officers be told they were coming out.
He said the emergency operator told him she couldn't contact individual police officers and that he should walk out with his hands in the air.
"I had to go out of the store shouting at the officers with my hands up, and they turned and pointed their guns at me," Woods said. "It was one of the scariest experiences of my life.