Pandemonium as gunshots rock US shopping mall

Twelve people have been injured in a shooting at a US shopping mall, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at Columbiana Centre in the capital of South Carolina.

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said three people have been detained and it is not believed the incident was random.

No deaths have been reported but two of the shooting victims are in critical condition.

Ten of the 12 people injured suffered gun shot wounds, while two were injured during the stampede to escape the mall.

Local media outlets reported heavy presence of police and emergency personnel at the mall, which was evacuated at around 2.30pm local time.

Injured people were treated at the scene as officers went store to store searching for people with weapons.

Officers earlier said they were responding to ‘shots fired’ at the centre.
‘We have confirmed that people have been injured during the incident — they are receiving medical attention,’ Columbiana police tweeted earlier.
‘The extent of injuries unknown at this time.’

A reunification site was set up near the mall, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

The site was opened for ‘those with loved ones involved in the Columbiana Mall shooting,’ the department tweeted.