Three Dead in Shooting at Baltimore-Area Mall

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Three Dead in Shooting at Baltimore-Area Mall

Three Dead in Shooting at Baltimore-Area Mall

* Suspected Gunman Among Those Killed; Motive Not Immediately Known

COLUMBIA, Md.—Violence shattered a wintry Saturday morning at a popular suburban mall here when a gunman shot and killed two employees of a skateboarding shop, sending panicked shoppers into hiding, police said.

The suspected gunman was later found dead near a shotgun and ammunition, police said. The identity of the shooter wasn't disclosed.

A motive wasn't immediately known, Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon told a late afternoon news conference. He said multiple reports that described the incident as domestic-related were speculative.

The victims were identified as Brianna Benlolo, 21, of College Park, MD, and Tyler Johnson, 25, of Ellicott City, MD, the police said later.

Five people were also hurt, including one who was shot in the foot, Howard County General Hospital and police said. The other injuries were apparently sustained in the ensuing panic after shots were fired.

Police said they began receiving calls about 11:15 a.m. EST of a shooting at the Mall in Columbia, which draws shoppers from across the bedroom communities nestled between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Officers arrived at the mall within two minutes, Mr. McMahon said. They found three bodies, including the suspected gunman, at Zumiez, ZUMZ -1.16% a skateboarding and
snow sports store on the mall's upper level, police said. Mr. McMahon said the two victims worked at the store.

Zumiez was "deeply saddened" by the shootings, chief executive Rick Brooks said through a spokeswoman. "Our hearts go out to the victims and their families." He said the company would provide counseling to its employees in the area. Its website says Zumiez is based in Washington state and has 400 stores nationwide.

The mall was locked down for hours, as tactical teams combed the "nooks and crannies" looking for witnesses and people who had sought safety in store rooms, bathrooms and closets, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman said. The mall was clear by 4 p.m. but was expected to remain closed at least through the rest of Saturday.

"This was a very scary incident," Mr. Ulman said. "There were a lot of people very close to where this happened."

Mr. McMahon said investigators were proceeding with caution around the scene and the gunman's body to make sure he wasn't carrying any explosives. "He had a large amount of ammunition still on and about him," Mr. McMahon said.

The incident erupted not long after the mall opened at 10 a.m. on one of the busiest shopping days of the week and triggered immediate fears of another American mass shooting.

Roger Aseneta, the manager of an Auntie Anne's pretzel shop in the mall, said he and two employees were in his lower-level store when he heard gunshots from the floor above them.

People in the nearby food court scattered, knocking over drinks and food. Mr. Aseneta and his employees ran into the backroom of the shop, where they watched the chaos unfold on a security-camera monitor. Mr. Aseneta, 52 years old, said he was "big-time scared."

* Shooting location is Zone C in the upper level The Mall in Columbia website

After about six shots, the shooting stopped, he said. Roughly 15 minutes later, police knocked on the door and escorted him and his co-workers out of the mall. "You only see this on the news or in the movies," he said. "This is like a live thing."

"These are the kinds of things that unfortunately, in our nation, our law enforcement is trained on," Mr. Ulman said.

Write to Andrew Grossman at andrew.grossman@wsj.com

Source: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303448204579342753991082852?mod=U.S._newsreel_1