Active shooter incident at Solano Town Center in Fairfield, California
Police swarmed Solano Town Center in Fairfield, CA after reports of an active shooter. Several people were reportedly injured, with unverified accounts citing up to five victims.
Multiple victims reported in Fairfield mall shooting
Fairfield police are investigating an active shooter incident at the Solano Town Center shopping mall in Fairfield, California, aol.com reports. Officers were dispatched to the scene at around 8:30 p.m., with police vehicles swarming the area as emergency services responded.
The Fairfield Police Department confirmed it was "working on an active incident" at the mall but declined to provide further details in an early statement posted to Instagram. "Updates will be provided through the department social media pages when available," the department wrote.
Sources told NBC Bay Area the incident involved an active shooter. Authorities confirmed that several people had been hurt, with a search for the suspect ongoing. The location of the suspected shooter remained unclear during the initial response, and no description of a potential suspect had been released.
Unverified reports from local community sources claimed multiple people were shot near the Spirit Halloween store inside the mall. According to preliminary information circulating online, at least five people were reportedly injured. Code 3 News Solano reported that two victims were allegedly found in the parking lot, two near the mall entrance, and one inside the shopping centre. Authorities had not confirmed those figures, and the reports could not be independently verified.
The California Highway Patrol confirmed it was assisting Fairfield police with traffic control and building clearances. Other agencies reportedly involved included the Vacaville Police Department, the Solano County Sheriff's Office, and the Benicia Police Department. Officers began sweeping the property while shoppers and employees were escorted out.
Social media posts added further unverified details as the situation unfolded. One Instagram user, commenting under the Fairfield Police Department's announcement, claimed her husband was monitoring a police scanner and reported an evacuation was underway. "My husband is listening to the police scanner and apparently two people have been shot there is an active shooter in the mall area and there evacuating people in the mall," the user wrote.
A Facebook post claimed that as of 9:45 p.m. — more than an hour after the initial reports — officers were still sweeping the interior of the mall. "Still trying to clear people to safety from inside the mall. 3 critical. Unknown if there's any deceased," the post read. A separate account claimed victims had already been transported to nearby hospitals, though neither post was verified by authorities.
Officials had not confirmed the number of people injured or whether any fatalities had occurred at the time of reporting. The incident followed a separate mass shooting in Oregon reported around the same period.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)