Three shot dead at mall

SEATTLE A gunman opened fire in a crowded mall north of Seattle yesterday, killing three and critically wounding another before fleeing, authorities said.

Police were searching for a Hispanic man wearing black and armed with a rifle.

The deadly shooting happened in the Macy’s department store at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, about 100 kilometres north of Seattle. Francis said three females were killed, one male suffered life-threatening injuries, and another female suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Witness Stephanie Bose said she had locked customers into her restaurant after hearing about the shooting from an employee’s boyfriend. ‘‘He was trying to go to the mall and people were screaming,’’ she said. ‘‘It was frantic.’’ AP