Garden State Plaza Shooter: Police Respond To Shots Fired Inside Paramus, NJ, Mall: Developing Story

Update 4:17 a.m. EST: The suspect in the Garden State Plaza mall shooting, which sent the facility into lockdown and the police on a manhunt, has been discovered dead in a Foot Locker store inside the mall, The Star-Ledger reported, citing law enforcement sources. The report added that while there was no indication as to the manner of his death, a "law enforcement source close to the investigation" said it appeared that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound from a rifle. Local police declined to comment, the report said.

Update 2:18 a.m. EST: Law enforcement officials raided a home at the address matching that of suspect Richard Shoop's at 534 Emerson Ave. in Teaneck, N.J., The Star-Ledger reported, and found a man who appeared to be older than the 20-year-old Shoop. Meanwhile, authorities urged people to stay away from the Garden State Plaza mall where, at about 9:19 p.m. on Monday night, the suspect entered the mall and fired several shots while the mall was still open, according to a statement by Paramus Police Chief Ehrenberg and released by the Bergen County prosecutor's office.

Update 1:02 a.m. EST: Police have identified 20-year-old Richard Shoop as a suspect in the Garden State Plaza mall shooting, The Star-Ledger reported, citing senior law enforcement officials. Shoop, who is a resident of Teaneck, N.J., works at a restaurant in the town, which lies about 5 miles east of the mall, and could still be on the mall's campus, or in its immediate neighborhood, the report said.

Update 12:12 a.m. EST: Various media reports, citing eyewitnesses, said the shooter was dressed all in black, and had a black helmet on. Reports added that many people were kept under lockdown inside the Garden State Plaza Mall while police hunted for the gunman, who is believed to have fired a single shot and left the mall.

Update 11:38 p.m. EST: A witness, Johnny Jimenez, told WPIX-TV that the gunman was shooting at cameras, not people. He said he saw the gunman walking with others and then put on a visor and helmet and start shooting.

Update 11:25 p.m. EST: Paramus Mayor Richard LaBarbera said "there are no victims," and "there have been zero injuries in this mall this evening."

Emergency coordinator Jim Tedesco said the mall is no longer "an active shooting scene" and the gunman may have escaped.

Update 11:20 EST: The Star-Ledger, like other media, is reporting that police believe the shooter is still inside the Garden State Plaza, and there are no reports of casualties.

Update 11:10 p.m. EST: The search for the gunman continues. According to NBC and CNN, there are no reported casualties. The police are still doing a store-by-store sweep.

The suspect is reported carrying an AK-47-like rifle, wearing full body armor or perhaps a motorcycle jacket. Shot were fired at security cameras to disarm then and shot into the air to scare people. It is believed that the suspect came in to find a specific target around closing time at 9:30 pm. The gunman walked in the mall but allegedly couldn’t find the target. There is no confirmed target at the moment.

A witness tells NBC news breaking news live, the gunman was wearing a black helmet and was “shooting straight up into the air.” The shooter walked past several other stores and people without shooting, but terrifying the workers. Multiple people say the gunman was walking directly toward Nordstrom but it is unclear whether or not he actually walked into the store.

A worker from an unnamed store next to Nordstrom said the gunman walked past the store and waved at her as he walked by.

No witnesses have reported that the gunman shoot at anyone, rather they only heard the shots. The gunman, who is confirmed armed and dangerous, may have left the mall, according to some reports.

Update 10:50 p.m. EST: There are unconfirmed reports of injuries. The gunman was described as being dressed in full body armor and a helmet, carrying an assault rifle.

A swat team stormed the scene around 10:30, CBS reported.

Original story:

ABC and other media report the Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, N.J., has been evacuated after shots were fired. Some people are still inside. One witness heard at least two bangs and saw Paramus police running inside the mall with their weapons drawn to search for the gunman. Police have surrounded the mall and the story is still developing.

According to CBS Local News, the shots were reported sometime before the mall was to close for the night at 9:30 p.m. EST. CBS confirms that one witness tweeted the shooting happened by the "second floor at Nordstrom." Witnesses said the gunman was dressed in all black.

News 4 New York is reporting that a man dressed in black clothing was armed with a rifle and began firing shots inside the popular mall. The TV station attributed that account to witnesses.