Mass shooting near Wisconsin mall reported

A mass shooting broke out near a major Brookfield Square Mall in a Milwaukee suburb on Sunday, Oct. 21.

At least seven people have been taken to a hospital and some of the buildings near the mall have been locked down as authorities look for a suspect.

According to the Journal Sentinel, the shooting took place around 11 a.m. in a hair salon, across from the mall. As customers fled, one woman ran out into traffic, she was screaming and pounding on cars. An eyewitness told the media that she was followed by a large man with a handgun.

The gunman reportedly stopped the pursuit to escape when police showed up.

Four shooting victims were taken to Froedtert Memorial Hospital and three more were expected, the hospital's spokeswoman Beth Strohbusch told The Canadian Press. She said none of the four already received were in critical condition.

According to early media reports: "A woman who answered the phone at the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department on Sunday told The Associated Press that deputies are looking for an active shooter."

All this took place less than two kilometres away from a hotel where seven people were killed and four wounded in 2005, when a gunman opened fire at a Living Church of God service.

With files from The Canadian Press