Vancouver Mall reopened at 3 p.m., one day after a man was killed and two others were injured in a chaotic Halloween night shooting in the second-level food court.
According to Vancouver police, the shooter fired at a man in the food court about 7:30 p.m. and then fired more shots that hit two other men. Arriving officers found one man dead and two injured.
The identity of the dead man and his age have not yet been confirmed, according to a Friday morning Vancouver police statement. The two men who were injured, who are 30 and 40 years old, were treated at an area hospital and released.
The shooter was wearing a Halloween mask — described as a Ghostface mask from the “Scream” movie franchise in emergency radio traffic Thursday night — and escaped from the mall.
The shooter remains at large.
“Detectives believe the shooting was a targeted attack. The two individuals who were injured were not believed to be intended targets, but rather were just in close proximity to where the shooting occurred,” Vancouver police said in the Friday morning statement.
Vancouver police’s Major Crime Unit is taking the lead on the investigation.
On Thursday night, Clark County social media groups lit up with stories about people fleeing the mall, employees pulling panicked shoppers into stores and closing and barricading gates to keep people safe. Many shoppers, some at the mall for it’s trick-or-treating event, sheltered in place, which police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said was appropriate in the situation.
“We are deeply saddened by this event and stand united with the community as we express our concern for the victims and their families and friends. We are also very grateful for the quick action taken by the shopping center security team and the Vancouver Police Department in securing the mall following the incident,” Vancouver Mall Senior General manager said Friday morning. “Our shopping center has a long history in the Clark County community, and we take the safety and security of our shoppers, retailers and employees very seriously.”
Natalya Brown was working in the mall about half an hour before closing.
“We were starting to wrap up,” she said. “We heard a loud sound. I knew it was gunfire — seven to eight rounds. People started running.”
Brown said she and her co-workers started pulling people into the store and then closed and barricaded the gates just after 7:30 p.m. They were locked in until about 9 p.m. when police made contact.
One mother called The Columbian shortly before 10 p.m. because her daughter was still in the Victoria’s Secret store and couldn’t find the emergency exit to leave the mall. Store employees kept the gate closed until police cleared the store.
Kapp said police were going store-to-store Thursday night in the roughly 880,000-square-foot shopping center, which houses more than 100 stores at 8700 N.E. Vancouver Mall Drive. They had expected to complete the search about 11 p.m.
Police asked anyone with information to call the department tip line at 360-487-7399.
Anyone who may have left personal property at the mall can contact security to arrange to pick up items today.
“In times like these, it is crucial that we come together as a community to support one another and help those in need as they process the shock of this unexpected event. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this senseless act of violence,” Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said in a Friday morning statement.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story had incorrect information about the hours the mall will be open today.
