Gunman fires shots in US mall: official

Shopping mall in New Jersey is being evacuated and police are responding, reports say.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers converged on a New Jersey shopping mall after a man opened fire shortly after 9 p.m. in the town of Paramus.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Witnesses said a man dressed in black and wearing a black helmet fired up to five shots at the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall just before closing time.

Det. Rachel Morgan of the Paramus Police Department would not confirm whether shots had been fired inside the mall.

"Multiple gunshots were heard. We believe it is one shooter. I know there is an active shooter near the Nordstrom area. The mall is being evacuated," Chief of Staff at Bergen Count Jeanne Baratta said, adding that SWAT team and law enforcement is on site.

Witness Jessica Stigliano, 21, of Richfield, New Jersey, told The Associated Press that she was sitting in the mall's food court when she saw people running and yelling "shots were fired.''

Several customers sent tweets saying they had been evacuated from the mall by state troopers.
Source:aljazeera