Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Police in Vancouver, Wash., had a suspect in custody after a gunman opened fire in the lobby of an apartment building for seniors, killing one person and injuring two others.
Police said officers responded to a call of a shooting at the Smith Tower Apartments just after 2 p.m. and found three gunshot victims -- a dead man and two injured women -- in the lobby.
The gunman, identified as 80-year-old building resident Robert E. Breck, retreated to his apartment and refused to leave, police said in a statement. Crisis negotiators and SWAT officers evacuated the building.
Beck, who was taken into custody about three hours later, has been charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder, Vancouver police said.
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Police did not mention a motive.
"While we are still learning about what happened surrounding the shooting incident this afternoon in downtown Vancouver, our hearts go out to the victims and their families as they deal with this tragedy," Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said in a statement. "I commend our police officers, fire and EMS personnel who quickly responded to the scene. I have the utmost confidence in our officers as they work to resolve the situation."
The PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center said it had received two shooting victims from the incident and both were in "satisfactory condition."
"One of the two shooting victims brought to our trauma center today has been stabilized in satisfactory condition and transferred to another facility for additional care. The other patient remains with us, also in satisfactory condition," the hospital announced via Twitter.
The identity of the deceased was not released.
Police said several streets near the building would be closed for several hours as the investigation continues.
According to the apartment's website, Smith Tower Apartments offers 170 studio and one-bedroom apartments to seniors above age 62.
