Investigators are trying to figure out the motive behind a shooting at a Boise, Idaho, shopping mall that killed two people and injured four others Monday afternoon.
One of the injured is a police officer who is now out of the hospital. The officer was injured in an exchange of gunfire with the suspect, who was detained and hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
Boise Towne Square is the city's largest shopping mall. Many people tried to run for the exits when they realized what they heard was bullets being fired.
After the shooting, several witnesses stood in the rain outside the entrance to Macy’s — one of five large department stores at the mall — waiting to be interviewed by police or to be told they could leave.
About a quarter of a mile away, officers closed part of a road near a busy intersection so they could investigate a second crime scene related to the shooting incident. Officers at the second crime scene declined to answer questions.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean asked people and the news media to give the victims and their families privacy as they deal with the trauma of the shooting.
"Countless people found themselves in a situation they never would have or should have expected," McLean said, praising shopkeepers and others for reacting "so quickly to take care of folks that were there. You showed in a tough and chaotic moment how much you care and what you’re willing to do to support and care for strangers."
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
