One person was killed and three others were wounded when gunfire erupted early Wednesday evening inside a mall in El Paso, Texas, authorities said.
Two people were taken into custody in the shooting at Cielo Vista Mall, interim El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas told reporters.
The mall is next to the Walmart where a gunman killed 23 people and injured 22 in 2019.
An off-duty officer working security at the mall took a person identified only as a male into custody three minutes after gunshots were reported around 5 p.m., Pacillas said.
A second person also identified as a male was taken into custody later, he said.
The identities and ages of the people involved had not been disclosed as of late Thursday afternoon, but Pacillas said they ranged from their late teens to early 20s.
“This is a random incident, encounter between two groups,” Pacillas told reporters on Thursday. “I want to emphasize this: This is a random incident that occurred between two groups at the mall.”
All the gunfire was limited to the food court area, police said.
“During the confrontation, a physical altercation took place, a fight,” Pacillas said. “During that fight, group B, one person, produced a handgun and shots were fired. As a result of the shooting, one member of group A was fatally wounded and deceased at the scene. Two persons in group B were woudnded and listed in stable condition.”
The FBI has published a site for witnesses to upload any videos individuals taken of the shooting scene.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, whose district includes El Paso, recalled the 2019 shooting on Twitter and said Wednesday's gunfire "brought back traumatic memories for many of us," adding, "Please know you are not alone."
"No community deserves multiple incidents of gun violence," she said.
