Vancouver Mall in Vancouver, Wash., Nov. 1, 2024. One person died and two people were injured in a shooting at the mall Thursday night, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
Erik Neumann / OPB
Police have not yet identified a person who was killed in what law enforcement is calling a “targeted shooting” at the Vancouver Mall on Thursday night. The shooting wounded two other men, ages 30 and 40, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Both suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and have been released from the hospital.
The shooting occurred during a family trick-or-treating Halloween event at the shopping center.
Police said in a statement Friday that the shooter was wearing a “Halloween type mask” and remains at large. They’ve warned the person may be armed. Detectives said the people who were injured were not the intended targets but were nearby when the shooting occurred.
“Last night should have been an evening of Halloween fun at Vancouver Mall. Instead, it turned to fear as reports of shots being fired spread. We want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our community is our top priority,” Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said in a statement on Friday.
The shooting took place at around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Police said they later heard from multiple witnesses that a person had shot another person in the food court area of the mall.
When officers arrived on scene, they found one person dead. The other two people injured in the shooting were taken to a nearby hospitals.
Just after 8:30 p.m., police said there was no longer an active threat inside the mall, and that anyone who had been sheltering in place could safely leave through any exit.
Vancouver police asked anyone with information on this shooting to call the police tip line at 360-487-7399.