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ORANGE, United States: Four people, including a child, were shot and killed Wednesday night in an office building in Southern California, police said.
It is the third such shooting in the United States in weeks, with 18 people killed in two separate incidents of gun violence in March.
The shooter, whose motivations are unknown until now, suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to hospital, Police Lt. Jennifer Amat said, adding that the suspect was in critical condition.
He went on to say that officers were still working to determine whether the wound was self-inflicted or as a result of an exchange of gunfire with police.
Police did not release further information on the victims, but said a fifth person, a woman, had been hospitalized and was in critical condition.
“The situation has stabilized and there is no threat to the public,” the Orange Police Department said in a post on its Facebook page.
The incident began around 5:30 pm local time on the top floor of a small office building in the city of Orange.
The block houses businesses including an advisory service, an insurance company, a financial consulting firm and a phone repair shop, local media reported.
Police and the suspect exchanged shots, according to the Los Angeles Times.
One man, who asked not to be identified speaking to local television channel KTLA5, described the situation as “terrifying”.
Cody Lev told local media The Orange County Register that they heard three loud noises, followed by silence and then sirens.
“I can tell you that we have not had an incident like this in the city of Orange since 1997,” Amat said, referring to a mass shooting in which four people were shot dead.
She added: “It is a tragedy for the victims, their families, our community and our police department.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on Twitter: “Horrible and heartbreaking. Our hearts go out to the families affected by this terrible tragedy tonight. “
“I am deeply saddened by reports of a mass shooting in Orange County, and I continue to think of the victims and their loved ones as we continue to learn more,” US Representative Katie Porter of California also tweeted.
It comes after two other high-profile mass shootings earlier this month, which sparked a renewed debate over gun control measures in the United States.
On March 22, 10 people were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, less than a week after a man shot and killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at spas in Atlanta, Georgia. . AFP
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