Five killed in US mall shooting

Police were searching yesterday for a gunman who killed five people during a shooting at a mall in the US state of Washington, amid a raging national debate over gun control.

Four women and one man were killed, police said in an updated toll. The man had been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, but died there, police spokesman Sergeant Mark Francis said.

Authorities say there was only one shooter in Friday night's attack at Cascade Mall in Burlington, located about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of Seattle, describing him as a Hispanic male wearing a gray shirt.

Police released a closely cropped still from video surveillance of the young-looking suspect showing only his head and torso, though the full picture, published by local media, showed him holding what appeared to be a rifle.

The suspect was last seen walking toward a local highway from the mall before police arrived, Francis said on Twitter.

NBC News reported that Washington State Patrol had said that there was no indication of terrorism in the shooting in Burlington.

"At this time, the FBI has no information to suggest additional attacks planned in WA state," the agency said on Twitter.

The debate over gun control is fierce in the United States, which has been wracked by gun violence. It's a hot issue on the campaign trail ahead of the November 8 presidential election.

Police received calls around 6:58 pm Friday (0058 GMT Saturday) that shots were fired at the mall. The mall was evacuated, police swarmed the area and medics rushed to the scene after the mall was initially placed on lockdown.

Witnesses told KOMO News that a shooter walked into Macy's department store and opened fire. Nearby businesses were evacuated, the television station added.

"I hear one shot and then stand kinda still and like two, three other people start running out saying 'gun' and then shot after shot after shot," said Armando Patino, who was working at a cell phone store.

Multiple law enforcement agencies and sniffer dogs were searching for the suspect. Local authorities searched throughout the night for the gunman, believed to be armed with a rifle and warned residents to remain inside.

The shooting comes less than a week after a man stabbed nine people at a mall in central Minnesota before being shot dead. The FBI is investigating that attack as a potential act of terrorism.