Gunman kills two, himself at shopping mall in Oregon

PanARMENIAN.Net - A gunman has opened fire at a shopping mall near the city of Portland, Oregon, killing two people and himself, BBC News reported.

One other person was seriously injured at the Clackamas Shopping Center and taken to hospital, Lt James Rhodes of Clackamas County Police said.

Officials say the gunman killed himself after the shooting spree. Police who arrived at the scene did not fire.

Dozens of police and emergency medical teams searched the premises for shoppers hiding inside, Lt Rhodes said.

The shooting began at about 15:30 PST (23:30 GMT) in Clackamas, a suburban town on the southern fringe of Portland, in the middle of the Christmas shopping season. Witnesses said the gunman opened fire several times while on the second floor of the shopping centre, near the food court and Macy's department store.

Police have recovered a gun, but said they were still searching the mall for any other evidence, as well as anyone who had locked themselves inside a store during the alert.

"We know of several groups of employees that have locked themselves in break rooms and bathrooms," Lt Rhodes said. "One at a time, very carefully, we are addressing each of those groups."

Multiple witnesses reported to local media that the gunman was wearing a mask and brandishing an assault-style rifle.