Police in Texas are searching for a suspect after mall shooting leaves one injured and shoppers are forced to shelter-in-place

By Raja Razek, CNN

Police in Texas are searching for a suspect after one person was shot at a mall in Killeen on Tuesday evening, forcing shoppers to shelter-in-place.

Police received a call around 7:17 p.m. about a disturbance at Killeen Mall and as officers arrived, they were told one person had been shot, Killeen Police Chief Charles Kimble said.

Killeen is in central Texas, nearly 70 miles north of Austin.

The injured person was airlifted to a local hospital and is stable, according to Kimble.

Police said there was “a lot of chaos” in the mall at the time of the shooting, and they issued a shelter-in-place order.

“I can tell you now, here at 9 p.m., there are people who are still sheltering in place. We have received phone calls from employees and patrons at the mall who are sheltering in place,” Kimble said, adding that those people are being escorted out of the mall.

Police called the situation “fluid,” saying the suspect is not yet in custody.

In surveillance photos issued by police, the suspect is seen wearing a white hat and white face mask.

“Our first priority is to safely get everyone out of the mall, tend to any injuries, search the mall for any possible additional shooters, and then we will systematically start the investigation. Our investigative units are here to find and locate the suspect,” Kimble said.

The public was asked to stay away from the mall as it was being evacuated, Killeen Police Public Information Officer Ofelia Miramontez said, noting “it is no longer considered an active shooter.”

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CNN’s Tina Burnside contributed to this report.