1 killed, 3 injured in shooting at mall in El Paso

One person died and three people were injured in a shooting at a mall in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday night, police said.

One person was in custody after the shooting at the Cielo Vista Mall, while one person that may have been involved in the shooting has yet to be detained, but police offered no description of the possible outstanding suspect.

“We don’t have any active shooters at this time,” El Paso Police Department spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said. “All we know right now it’s isolated to Cielo Vista Mall.”

On top of the one confirmed casualty, the three injured individuals were transported to local hospitals, according to Gomez.

Gomez said that there were indications that the shooting occurred “in the approximate area of the food court, but that was not confirmed.”

Cielo Vista Mall is located across the street from a Walmart where, in 2019, a 24-year-old shooter killed 23 individuals after targeting Hispanic people. That shooter pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes and gun charges one week ago.

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), who represents the district, called for lawmakers in Washington to pass gun safety measures.

“Last night’s shooting at Cielo Vista Mall brought back traumatic memories for many El Pasoans,” Escobar said. “El Pasoans should know I will relentlessly continue fighting for further gun safety measures. Despite Republican opposition, House Democrats will not stop pushing for common-sense, effective legislation aimed at curbing gun violence.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said he had been in contact with the mayor of El Paso.

“I spoke to Mayor Leeser about the shooting tonight in El Paso,” Abbott said on Twitter. “I offered the full support of the State of Texas, including the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Division of Emergency Management to help the city of El Paso respond to this tragic event.”

The shooting also comes on the same day that a white gunman who killed 10 Black people in a racially-motivated shooting at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store was sentenced to life in prison.

— Updated at 5:49 p.m.