One person was killed and six others sustained injuries during a shooting late Friday at a seasonal holiday store inside a Bay Area shopping center, according to local law enforcement. Fairfield police officers rushed to the Solano Town Center at approximately 8:30 p.m. following reports of gunfire erupting inside a Spirit Halloween store.
First responders pronounced one victim dead at the location. Paramedics transported the remaining six injured individuals to nearby hospitals for medical treatment. Fairfield police confirmed that three of the hospitalized victims were listed in critical condition.
Investigators have not yet apprehended a suspect in connection with the violence. The sudden gunfire broke out while families were browsing the aisles for last-minute holiday decorations and costumes, triggering a massive emergency response from law enforcement agencies.
Witnesses near the scene described immediate panic as the shots rang out. Daniela Seabra Rios stated in a text message that she and her son were waiting inside an automobile parked across from the storefront when she observed a mass of people fleeing and screaming. She noted that the fleeing crowd included numerous families.
According to Rios, she and her son dropped to the floorboards of their vehicle and remained sheltered there until police units arrived at the scene.
Another witness, Santa Rosa resident Chara Brazley, reported receiving a frantic telephone call from her 24-year-old daughter, an employee at an Ulta Beauty store within the same shopping center. Brazley said her daughter heard several loud gunshots as staff members were preparing to close the retail establishment for the evening.
Brazley added that members of her family had visited the shopping complex for decades without ever encountering such an incident.
