On the evening of 30 October, a mass shooting took place at a Spirit Halloween shop in Fairfield, California, located in the Solano Town Centre shopping centre. One person was killed in the attack and six others sustained gunshot wounds. At least three of the injured are in a critical condition. The police are searching for those involved in the shooting. This was reported on 31 October by CNN and the Associated Press, citing law enforcement sources.
What is known about the shooting in California
According to Fairfield Police, the first reports of gunfire were received at around 8.30 pm local time. Officers arrived at the Solano Town Centre shopping centre, located approximately 70 kilometres north-east of San Francisco.
The shooting took place right inside the shop Spirit Halloween, which specialises in selling costumes, masks and festive decorations.
At the scene, the police found seven people with gunshot wounds. One person could not be saved; the remaining six were taken to hospital. Doctors have assessed the condition of three of the victims as critical.
Chief Constable of Fairfield Dan Marshall He reported that investigators are working at the scene of the crime and are trying to identify the shooter. The names and ages of the victims have not yet been released.
Shoppers fled the shop in a panic
The attack took place a few hours before Halloween, just as many American families were finishing their preparations for the festive season.
Eyewitnesses told journalists that, following the first shots, customers began to flee the shop and neighbouring retail premises in droves.
A local resident David Bernal He told KCRA that his wife was in the wig section when the shooting started. According to him, she heard five loud gunshots and ran out through the emergency exit.
The woman managed to get home, but she was still in a state of shock after what she had been through.
Another eyewitness, Daniela Seabra Rios, told the Los Angeles Times that she had been in her car with her son near the shop. She saw frightened people running out of the shopping centre, including many families with children. She and her son took cover on the floor of the car until the police arrived.
Police are searching for the attacker: what is known about the investigation
After shootings Law enforcement officers cordoned off the shopping centre. Police officers from the neighbouring town of Suisan City and the California Highway Patrol joined the operation.
The FBI’s Sacramento field office also announced that it had deployed a team of evidence collection specialists to assist local investigators.
The police are reviewing CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses. Dan Marshall expressed the hope that CCTV footage from the shopping centre would help to establish the circumstances of the crime.
It is not yet known whether a single attacker opened fire or whether several people were involved in the crime. The motives have not yet been established either, so the police cannot confirm that the attack was targeted.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the police have denied earlier reports that 13–15 people had been hospitalised. Seven casualties have been officially confirmed, one of whom has died.
As of the morning of 31 October, local time, the arrest of any suspects has not been confirmed. The investigation is ongoing, and the police are urging anyone with footage from the scene or any other information to contact Fairfield Police.
