U.S. News

Houston Strip Mall Shooting Leaves 9 Injured, Suspect Dead

Elisha Fieldstadt
WATCH LIVE
Siede Preis | Getty Images

At least nine people were injured when a gun man opened fire at a Houston shopping center Monday morning, officials said.

Police fatally shot the suspect, who started "firing actively" at officers once they located him, said Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo.

Six victims were taken to area hospitals, Montalvo said. Three were in good condition, one was in fair condition, one was in serious condition and one was in critical condition, she said. Three more people were treated at the scene.

More from NBC News:
José Fernández among many MLB players lost too soon
Golfers Lionize Arnold Palmer on social media
Rushing floodwaters could swamp northeast Iowa all week long

More than 15 EMS crews were dispatched about 6:30 a.m. (7:30 a.m. ET) to reports of shots fired near a Petco store in southwest Houston, Fire Department spokesman Jay Evans told NBC News.

The incident occurred near the corner of Wesleyan and Bissonnet Streets, officials said. Residents at an apartment complex about a block away were instructed to shelter in place some two hours after the initial reports of the shooting. Police said at that time that a bomb squad was checking the suspect's vehicle, where Montalvo later said "numerous weapons" had been found.

Tweet 1

The bomb squad planned to sweep the suspect's apartment next, police said. The FBI said it was assisting police with the investigation.

Montalvo said the suspect lived in the neighborhood and was a lawyer who was having "issues with his law firm."

Police were not seeking any other suspects, they said.

The shooting comes days after a shooting at a Washington state mall that left five people dead. On Sept. 17, a 20-year-old man stabbed 10 people at a Minnesota mall before being shot to death by an off-duty police officer.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.