Shots fired in Texas mall

  • Updated
  • 23/01/2017

A robbery at a Texas mall "gone real, real, real bad" has ended with at least one person dead and seven in hospital.

Around 10:30am (NZ time) two men robbed a jewellery store in San Antonio's Rolling Oaks Mall, say local police.

On leaving the store they were accosted by two members of the public - both men in their 30s.

"One of the citizens who tried to intervene and stop the robbers from escaping was shot by one of the suspects," said San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus.

That "good Samaritan" was killed. The other happened to be carrying a concealed firearm, and fired back at the shooter, hitting him.

"The second suspect, when the shooting started, ran through the mall in the other direction, shooting as he ran," said Chief McManus.

Six other people were shot as a result. They were all rushed to hospital, as was the suspect who was shot.

"We're not sure of their conditions right now," Chief McManus said, calling fatality "absolutely senseless".

Police have the area locked down, and are urging locals to stay away. Officers and the FBI are scouring the mall, trying to find the second gunman.

"Right now, the people who are in there are not in danger," said Chief McManus.

San Antonio police also released a statement saying two other shoppers have also been taken to hospital - one suffering a heart attack, the other a pregnant woman who went into labour during the ordeal.

Live coverage of the incident by local TV stations showed multiple ambulances and police vehicles outside the mall.

"We were in the mall, we heard the shots and just started running. It was chaos," shopper Benjamin Arsate told news site My San Antonio.

"I mean, where do you go to have fun now? This is insane. It's like nowhere's safe anymore."

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