Authorities were searching Monday for the gunman who allegedly opened fire inside a supermarket in southeast Washington state, killing at least one person and critically injuring an employee, authorities said.
The suspect was described in a police statement as “armed and dangerous.”
Authorities released pictures of the alleged gunman, who has not been identified, wearing a checkered shirt and dark-colored vest inside the supermarket.
The shooting was reported at 11:03 a.m. and the first officer arrived one minute later, Richland Police Department Cmdr. Chris Lee said. said.
Before opening fire with a handgun, Lee said the suspect talked to the employee. It wasn’t clear what the conversation was about or if they knew each other, he said. A motive in the shooting also wasn’t clear.
“We don’t know what the cause was,” Lee said. We don’t know if it was specifically intentional or targeted toward any one person.”
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, interim police chief Brigit Clary said during a news conference.
The suspect fled the store, though it wasn’t clear if he was in a car or on foot, the department said.
In a statement, Fred Meyer said the company was “deeply saddened” by the shooting and the death, who has not been publicly identified. It offered its “thoughts, prayers and support to all affected individuals and families during this difficult time.”
The statement added that the company is cooperating with law enforcement agencies. The store will remain closed while their investigation continues.
The second victim, who was not identified, was undergoing surgery on Monday afternoon and remained in critical condition, Lee said.
The market is a little more than two miles west of the Columbia River and 220 miles east of downtown Portland.
CORRECTION (Feb. 7, 2022, 10:35 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misidentified the person killed in the shooting as a store employee. A store employee was wounded, not killed.
Suzanne Ciechalski contributed.