WAUWATOSA, Wis. — Eight people were wounded Friday when a gunman opened fire at a Wisconsin mall, authorities said.
Officials in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa said seven adults and one teen were shot at Mayfair Mall, WDJT reported. All of the victims are expected to live, the television station reported.
The shooter, who was not at the mall when police arrived, was described as a man in his 20s or 30s, Wauwatosa police Chief Barry Weber told reporters. The shooting took place near the northwest entrance to Macy’s department store.
Weber said the mall would remain closed until further notice, WISN reported.
Our hearts go out to those who were injured in the shooting at Mayfair Mall today. Kathy and I are thinking of them and their families and wish them a full and speedy recovery.
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) November 21, 2020
The seven adults were taken to Froedtert Hospital, a trauma center, and the teen victim was taken to Children’s Wisconsin, the television station reported. The extent of their injuries is unknown.
“It will take time to provide additional, and perhaps, more accurate information,” Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride told CNN.
According to WISN, the owners of the mall released a statement after the shooting.
“We are disheartened and angered that our guests and tenants were subject to this violent incident today,” the statement said. “We are thankful for our partners at the Wauwatosa Police Department and we are cooperating with them as their investigation develops.”
Preliminary investigation has led us to believe that this shooting was not a random act, and was the result of an altercation. We will continue to work diligently to interview the many witnesses, as well as the victims who were injured, to identify and apprehend the suspect.
— Wauwatosa Police (WI) (@WauwatosaPD) November 21, 2020
The shooting at the mall is at least the fourth time multiple people have been wounded by gunfire in the Milwaukee area, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
In February, five workers at MolsonCoors’ Milwaukee brewery were fatally shot by a co-worker, who then killed himself. Two months later, five people were killed inside a Milwaukee home. In September, seven people were wounded when a car pulled up to a crowd of mourners gathering for a funeral and a person inside the vehicle opened fire, the newspaper reported.
Cox Media Group