3 hospitalized after shooting at West Edmonton Mall, police say

Police say a shooting at West Edmonton Mall Monday night left three people with serious injuries.

The Edmonton Police Service said in a statement that a shooting was reported at the mall at around 7:40 p.m., and three male victims were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds. 

Police didn’t specify the ages of the injured people.

The mall was locked down while a police tactical unit cleared the shopping centre to make sure it was safe.

In video from inside the mall obtained by CBC News, alarms can be heard in the shopping centre, followed by a message saying the mall is in lockdown, and people should “seek shelter immediately or return to your vehicle.”

Police said the lockdown was being lifted around 10 p.m.

Shoppers hid in storeroom

Sean Fowler was shopping for clothes in a Foot Locker store just before 8 p.m. MT, when a woman told people to stay inside the store. A few minutes later, a security guard entered and told a store employee to lock the door.

Fowler told CBC News he was ushered into a room at the back of the store, along with other shoppers and staff, and remained there for about an hour and a half.  During that time, he said, the lights dimmed and it was hard to access the internet on his phone.

“There was no panic or crying,” he said, and people remained calm until the lights came back on and they got the all clear to leave just after 9.30 p.m.

Police investigate the scene of a multiple shooting at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton. The mall was on lockdown Monday night after multiple reports of a shooting. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

Fowler went shopping for clothes at the mall because he fled Yellowknife last Friday, when residents were ordered to leave because of large wildfire moving closer to the city, and only brought a few items of clothing with him in his car. 

“I finally had some time and I was going to buy some sneakers and pants,” Fowler said.

Shooting targeted, police say

EPS said the shooting happened in Phase 3 of the mall, which is on the west side of the shopping centre. 

Police didn’t say whether they arrested anyone. EPS spokesperson Daniel Tames said the investigation is “in its infancy” and there will be further updates in the coming days.

“Preliminary investigations give police reason to believe that this incident was a targeted event, and the parties are known to each other,” Tames said.

“We do not believe there to be any further risk to the area at this time.”

EPS asked people to stay away from the shopping centre Monday night, but said people should be “mindful of misinformation circulating online” about the incident.

Police said Phase 3 of the mall would not be accessible during the police investigation.

The area is in the western half of the shopping centre and is home to a massive water park and the Marine Life aquarium, as well as large tenants Simons and London Drugs.

Officers at the scene of Monday’s shooting at West Edmonton Mall. Police say three people were seriously injured. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

The mall, one of the largest in North America and a major tourist attraction, says on its website it that conducts lockdown drills four times a year to prepare for emergencies.

It tightened security in 2015 after it was named a potential target in a video attributed to al-Qaida-linked terrorist group al-Shabab.

The mall has more than 800 stores, 100 restaurants, an amusement park, a shooting range, a skating rink and a pirate ship. It sees about 30 million visitors a year.

In a statement, West Edmonton Mall confirmed there was a shooting at the shopping centre but referred further queries to Edmonton police. 

A aerial shot of West Edmonton Mall and outdoor parking lots. (Rick Bremness/CBC)