One person was killed and two were wounded Thursday in a shooting at a senior living complex in downtown Vancouver, Washington, police said.
The suspected shooter, described in local media reports as an elderly resident of the Smith Tower retirement community, was taken into custody after initially barricading himself inside an apartment and engaging in an hours-long standoff with police.
Police have not yet commented on a possible motive, and the suspect has not yet been identified.
“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,” Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle said in a statement following the shooting.
Kim Kapp of the Vancouver Police Department told reporters shots were first fired inside the lobby of the building before the suspected gunman holed up in his apartment.
The gunshots prompted panic in the area, with police swarming to the scene and hurriedly carrying wounded people out of the building, according to video from the scene.
Some of the building was evacuated while police tried to negotiate with the barricaded suspect, while others were advised to shelter in place.
The shooting reportedly began at around 2:10 p.m. local time. The Vancouver Fire Department told The Columbian “two critical patients” were taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.
