Police response and hospital treatment
Police responded around 8:30 p.m. local time to the store on the southwest side of Solano Town Center, according to ABC7 News and The Reporter of Vacaville. The shooting occurred on the eve of Halloween at the retailer selling costumes and decorations.
All seven victims suffered gunshot wounds, the Fairfield Police Department said. The six survivors were taken to hospitals. At a news conference around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Police Chief Dan Marshall confirmed the death and said at least three victims were critically injured.
The Reporter said NorthBay Medical Center, next to the mall, received at least two patients in critical condition. Another critically injured patient was taken to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vacaville.
Officers from Suisun City, Vacaville, Dixon and Benicia joined Fairfield police in the response, along with the Solano County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol. Regional fire crews and Medic Ambulance also assisted, The Reporter said. SWAT teams searched through the mall, helping customers and employees leave safely.
Investigation and an account of escape
In a social media statement posted around midnight early Saturday, Fairfield police said the search for a suspect remained underway. "This is still a very active crime scene. Detectives are speaking with witnesses and diligently working to identify the suspect responsible for this horrific shooting," the department said.
The Reporter said a gun had reportedly been found in a parking area near the mall and that police radio traffic included a suspect description. The outlet reported no arrests as of 10:45 p.m. Friday.
Fairfield resident David Bernal told KCRA that his wife had been inside the store when the shooting began and escaped through an emergency exit with several other people. He said she described hearing "five big bangs, big ones, like loud."
Solano Town Center is at 1350 Travis Blvd., near Interstate Highway 80. ABC7 News described it as Solano County's largest enclosed shopping mall. Fairfield is about 37 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento.
Earlier shooting at a Michigan store
Hours before the Fairfield shooting, a 21-year-old Detroit resident was killed inside a Spirit Halloween store in Madison Heights, Michigan, NBC News reported. The two shootings did not appear to be connected.
Police took the alleged Michigan shooter, a 21-year-old man, into custody after several bystanders assaulted him. He was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, and police said investigators expected to seek criminal charges.
