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Sunday, February 13, 2005 - Page updated at 06:49 p.m
Gunman opens fire at mall in upstate New York; one person wounded
By Michael Hill
The Associated Press
KINGSTON, N.Y. — A lone gunman opened fire with an assault rifle today inside a crowded mall in upstate New York, wounding one person before running out of ammunition and being subdued by employees, authorities said.
The gunman began shooting inside the Hudson Valley Mall shortly after 3 p.m. 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. Capt. Wayne Olson said investigators did not know the exact number of shots fired.
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 listed in critical condition.
Another person was injured in the hand, but police said the injury was not a gunshot wound.
Ulster Town Supervisor Fred Wadnola identified the gunman's weapon as an AK-47 assault rifle.
The mall was evacuated after the shooting, but an unknown number of workers remained inside after police surrounded the building.
"Everyone was running and screaming. Then I heard the shots," witness Heather Craig told Fox News. "People were running over people. Other people were just standing there dumbfounded."
All mall entrances remained blocked off by police Sunday evening.
Michael Bovalino, chief executive officer of the mall's parent company, said crisis counselors would be available for mall employees Monday.
"Our main concern at this point is the well being of those that were injured," Bovalino said in a statement.
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company