Gunman shoots five in NY mall

A lone gunman opened fire with an assault rifle inside a crowded mall in upstate New York, critically wounding one person before running out of ammunition and being subdued by employees.

The gunman began shooting inside the Hudson Valley Mall shortly after 3pm local time yesterday in Kingston, nearly 90 miles north of New York City.

The 24-year-old gunman went into a Best Buy store and started firing. When he ran out of ammunition, he was captured by mall employees, police said.

Police did not identify the suspect.

State police Capt Wayne Olson said the man fired a “significant number of rounds.” He disputed earlier reports that the weapon was an AK-47.

An army recruiter was shot in the leg but was not the target of the attack, said Lt Col Paul Fanning, a National Guard spokesman. The recruiter was evacuated by helicopter to an Albany hospital, where he was said to be in a critical condition.

The 20-year-old recruiter might lose his leg, Olson said.

A second victim, a 56-year-old man, suffered minor gunshot wounds to his left arm, thigh and leg.

Two other people had bullet holes in their trouser legs.

“We consider it fortunate that more people were not struck,” Olson said. “Sunday afternoon in a crowded mall, it really has all the potential in the world to be a disaster.”

The mall was evacuated after the shooting, but some workers remained inside after police surrounded the building.

The suspect, who was from the nearby Saugerties area, is expected to appear in court today on charges of assault and reckless endangerment.

All mall entrances remained blocked off by police last night.

Michael Bovalino, chief executive officer of the mall’s parent company, said crisis counsellors would be available to talk to mall employees today.

“Our main concern at this point is the well-being of those that were injured,” Bovalino said.