One Dead, Six Hurt in California Halloween Store Shooting

A manhunt is underway in Northern California following a Friday night shooting at a Spirit Halloween store that left one person dead and six others injured.

The gunfire occurred around 8:30 p.m. local time at the Solano Town Center mall in Fairfield. Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall said at a news conference that at least three victims were in critical condition and that all seven injured people had been taken to a nearby hospital. Marshall said detectives were working to identify the suspect or suspects. He said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this heartbreaking incident."

David Bernal told NBC News affiliate KCRA that his wife was shopping in the store when shots were fired. She escaped through an emergency exit with other shoppers, Bernal said. "She's at home right now, still in shock," he said. Bernal said his wife heard "five big bangs, big ones, like loud" before running to an exit on the far side of the mall.

The Fairfield shooting followed another fatal incident hours earlier at a Spirit Halloween location in Madison Heights, Michigan. According to the Madison Heights Police Department, a 21-year-old Detroit resident was shot inside the store, transported to a local hospital, and later died from the injuries. Police said the alleged shooter, also 21, was assaulted by bystanders as officers took him into custody and sustained non life threatening injuries. Investigators anticipate seeking criminal charges in the Michigan case. Authorities said the two incidents do not appear to be connected.

Police in Fairfield have not released a description of the suspect or suspects and have not identified the person who died. The Solano Town Center store remains the site of an active investigation.