A manhunt was under way today in Washington state, in the US, after a gunman entered a shopping centre with a rifle yesterday and killed five people, the state police force said.
The man walked into the Cascade Mall in Burlington, around 105 km north of Seattle, and began shooting, Washington State Patrol spokesman Mark Francis said on Twitter.
The attack took place in the cosmetics section of a Macy's department store, Mr Francis told the New York Times.
Four women were initially killed in the rampage, which state police believe was carried out by a lone gunman.
A man who was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries died later, Mr Francis said today.
Authorities offered no information about a possible motive for the attack, which followed a series of violent outbursts at shopping centres across the United States, including the stabbing of nine people at a Minnesota shopping centre last weekend.
State police released a grainy photo of the suspect taken by a surveillance camera. It showed a young man who appeared to be in his 20s with short dark hair and a pale complexion and carrying a rifle.
There was no indication from authorities that the shooting was linked to any previous attack, and none of the victims were identified.
Mr Francis said that police and rescue workers had carefully worked their way through the shopping centre, clearing stores and evacuating shoppers, some of whom locked themselves in dressing rooms.
He said police were searching the area for the shooter, who was described as a "Hispanic male wearing grey" and was last seen walking toward a nearby highway.
Local authorities searched throughout the night for the gunman, believed to be armed with a rifle, and warned residents to remain inside.
"Tragedy has struck in Washington tonight. Our hearts are in Burlington," Governor Jay Inslee said on Twitter.
