COLUMBIA, Md., Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Police in Columbia, Md., identified two victims killed by a gunman who then took his own life in a shopping mall shooting Saturday morning.
The Howard County police department declared the Columbia Mall in the city, located between Baltimore and Washington, secure Saturday after a gunman -- apparently acting alone -- killed two people and then himself.
The dead were identified as Brianna Benlolo, 21, of College Park, Md., and Tyler Johnson, 25, of Ellicott City, Md., both employees of Zumiez.
The third body, believed to be the shooter, was not identified.
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Another victim was shot in the foot and taken to a hospital, police said. Five others were treated and released.
Howard County police said on the department's Facebook page one of the three bodies found inside the mall was believed to the suspect.
"One subject was located near a gun and ammunition and is believed to have likely been the shooter," police said in the statement posted on Facebook. "There have been no reports of any shots fired since the body was discovered."
Police said while the mall was considered to be secured, shoppers and store employees were ordered to stay put until they could be evacuated in an orderly manner. That process began about 2 p.m. EST, the department said on its Twitter page.
Police said officers and rescue crews swarmed to the mall within minutes of the first report of a shooting. Twitter images from inside showed a wall with bullet holes in it and mall employees and customers hiding in a store room, CNN said.
Police have not released a possible motive for the shootings.
