One Dead, Six Wounded in Shooting at Spirit Halloween Store in Fairfield, California; Gunman Still at Large

A gunman opened fire inside a Spirit Halloween store in Fairfield, California, late Friday. One person is dead and six are wounded. As of this afternoon, Saturday, Oct. 31, no one has been arrested.

Fairfield police responded to the Solano Town Center at about 8:30 p.m. local time on Friday, Oct. 30. All seven victims had gunshot wounds, including the person who died. At least three of the six survivors were in critical condition, police said.

What police say

In a Saturday statement, the Fairfield Police Department said the shooting "is believed to have stemmed from a targeted incident involving one suspect inside the Spirit Halloween store." The department says it is looking for a single suspect, who fled the mall before officers arrived.

Police have not released a suspect description. They have not named the dead victim and said they are still working to identify that person. The department says it is not releasing the names of any victims for now.

"This is still a very active crime scene," the department said in a statement posted around midnight. "Detectives are speaking with witnesses and diligently working to identify the suspect responsible for this horrific shooting."

Police Chief Dan Marshall spoke to reporters Friday night. "I know the mall has cameras, so hopefully we'll get some of that footage," he said. He urged anyone with information to contact the department. Detectives are now reviewing video and other evidence to identify the shooter.

Police have not said what "targeted" means in this case. They have not said whether the gunman knew any of the victims, or whether the wounded were the intended targets. In the store at the time, by multiple accounts, were families shopping for last-minute Halloween supplies.

Inside the mall

Witnesses described chaos. David Bernal told NBC affiliate KCRA that his wife was inside the store when the shooting started. She told him she heard "five big bangs, big ones, like loud," then ran and escaped through an emergency exit with several others. "She's at home right now, still in shock," he said.

Daniela Seabra Rios told the Los Angeles Times she and her son were waiting in a car in the parking lot across from the store. She saw a "sea of people running and screaming," many of them families. The two ducked onto the floor of the car and stayed there until police arrived.

Chara Brazley, of Santa Rosa, told the Times her 24-year-old daughter works at Ulta Beauty in the same shopping center. Employees there were getting ready to close for the night when her daughter heard several loud gunshots. Brazley said her children have gone to the mall for decades and had "never experienced anything like this before."

The shooting prompted a large law enforcement response. Fairfield is roughly 37 miles northeast of Sacramento.

A separate Michigan shooting

A second shooting at a Spirit Halloween store happened hours earlier on Friday, in Madison Heights, Michigan. Police there said it involved two 21-year-old men. One died of his injuries. The alleged shooter is in the hospital, according to police.

No source has linked the two incidents. Fairfield police have described their case as a targeted shooting involving one suspect, and nothing in the police statements ties it to Michigan. The shared retailer is the only connection reported.

Halloween night warning

With the suspect still free, the Fairfield Police Department asked the public to "remain vigilant, look out for one another, and report any suspicious activity" during Saturday evening's Halloween celebrations.

The department extended condolences to the family of the person who died and its thoughts to the other victims.

Police are working through mall surveillance video and witness interviews to determine whether the footage will produce an identification. Detectives have said they are not releasing additional details. The department has not said when it might release the victims' names. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fairfield Police Department.