Five shot inside busy shopping mall as police frantically hunt gunman responsible

A gunman opened fire at a shopping mall on Tuesday afternoon, injuring five people, with police now launching a frantic manhunt for the assailant. Officers rushed to Brass Mill Center in Waterbury, Connecticut, around 4.40pm following reports of shots fired at the mall.

Five shoppers were rushed to hospital following the shooting, with police indicating that some had suffered severe injuries but failing to specify on the conditions of all the victims.

No fatalities have been reported in the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting, and local law enforcement is currently on the hunt for the suspected shooter, described as a man in his twenties.

Authorities believe the shooting incident, which involved a semi-automatic pistol, came about due to a dispute that spiralled out of control inside the mall, rather than being a random attack, per police statements.

Following the incident, the police have assured that there is no direct threat to the public. However, they've advised people to steer clear of the area while investigations are carried out, the Mirror reports.

The inquiry into the frightening event has drawn support from federal agencies, and Connecticut's own Governor Ned Lamont has deemed it a "tragic mass shooting" in his remarks made subsequent to the ordeal.

"We are grateful to law enforcement, who acted swiftly," the governor expressed, as reported by NBC Connecticut. "Our hearts break for the Waterbury community, the victims, and their families who have been impacted by this incident."

Amidst the chaos of the shooting, shoppers inside the mall were forced to take refuge in place, with police currently eliciting their accounts to piece together the sequence of events.

The public in Connecticut have been being urged to come forward with any information that can help police track down the gunman. Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo stated that his team is meticulously combing through the mall, going "store-by-store" in search of clues.

Eyewitnesses on the scene recounted moments of horror, with one claiming to have observed the ghastly attack unfold within a JCPenney, alleging a young girl was caught up in the violence, a claim that remains unverified. Meanwhile, another bystander described to local media seeing a woman crying out desperately for assistance.