Around 6:00 p.m. local time, multiple people called 911 to report an active shooter at the Greenwood Park Mall, Greenwood Police Department Chief Jim Ison told reporters.
Investigators believe the unidentified gunman, an adult man, was shot and killed by an armed “good Samaritan” who “observed the shooting in progress,” Ison said.
Olivia Harding said she was at the Old Navy in the mall when she and her mom heard four gunshots and thought the nearby carousel was breaking down.
“Next thing you know, you hear about six more shots and you see everybody running,” Harding told CNN affiliate WISH. Harding said she doesn’t think she’ll come back to a mall “for a very long time.”
The gunman appears to have used a long-gun rifle, according to Ison, though law enforcement had not recovered any weapons from the scene at the time he was speaking to reporters, he said.
Tactical teams are clearing the mall and the scene will be examined by investigators after that process is complete, Ison said.
Police are still investigating what led to the mass shooting and questioning people who were inside the mall at the time of the attack, police said. They are asking all witnesses to contact authorities and have requested that the public stay away from the mall at this time.
“This tragedy hits at the core of our community,” Greenwood Mayor Mark Meyers said in a Facebook post. “Please offer your prayers to the victims and our first responders.”
Multiple agencies responded to the scene and are assisting in the incident, including the FBI, ATF, Johnson County Sheriff’s Department and Department of Homeland Security, Ison said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
