SEATTLE_Four people were fatally shot in the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Skagit County, Friday evening, according to a Washington State Patrol trooper.
It's unclear how many people fired shots, Sgt. Mark Francis reported on Twitter. Earlier, he said the suspected shooter, a man, was last seen walking toward Interstate 5 from Cascade Mall. A search at the mall and surrounding area is underway.
Emergency medics have entered the mall escorted by police, Francis reported. Some people may still be holed up in the mall.
KING TV reported medics were called to the Macy's store. Meanwhile, shoppers at the Target store were told the store was in lockdown, the station reported.
"Shooter(s) left scene b4 police arrived," he said in the tweet shortly after 8 p.m. "Unknown # of shooter, possibly just 1, police clearing mall now."
The trooper provided no other details on the man, other than that he is Latino and "wearing gray."
It's unclear where the shooting occurred, Francis said. It's also unclear if there are more victims. No other details on the deceased was immediately available.
People who were inside the mall are being taken to His Place Community Church near the mall.
Skagit County Department of Emergency Management is urging people to avoid the mall area. State transportation officials are asking drivers to avoid the freeway near Highway 20, as well.
Heading to Seattle on the freeway, Ben Hagood was driving through the area around 7:40 p.m. and said he saw dozens of police vehicles, including just 15 and 20 near a storefront at the mall alone.
Burlington-Edison's football game against Lakewood at Burlington-Edison High School was postponed.
The shooting marks Washington's sixth mass shooting with at least four victims this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Three people were shot to death at a house party in Mukilteo in July.
The nonpartisan organization, based in Washington, D.C., tracks and verifies incidents around the country, defining "mass shootings" as any single incident in which four or more people are fatally shot or wounded, not including the shooter.
