8:30 pm— The Clackamas police spokesperson says they have tentatively identified the shooter, but will not say any more until they're 100 percent sure of his identity. He is confirmed dead, and besides the two other victims, only one person was reported as sent to the hospital—the woman we spoke of earlier. There was no other significant information released, and the next press conference is not scheduled until tomorrow. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to the families of the victims.
6:30pm—Police report that there were no shots fired by law enforcement today at the mall. The shooter appears to have died of a self-inflicted wound.
Some good news. KPTV spoke with staff at Oregon Health Sciences University hospital, who said that the woman seriously injured in today's shooting is recovering from her injuries. She did not require surgery and is awake and talking, the station reports. The woman is about 18 years old.
The police are almost finished sweeping through the mall to find and release shoppers and workers who remain holed-up there.
5:55pm— "I hope this tragedy doesn't keep you away from the mall!" says Mall Santa, interviewed by KGW.
Ugh.
5:33pm— At a press conference just now, the sheriff confirmed that the "neutralized" shooter is dead. It's unclear how he was killed, whether the wound is self-inflicted or not.
The shooter killed two people and seriously injured at least one more.
5:30pm—KATU just interviewed a woman who works at Zale's in the mall who burst into tears describing the death of the "nice man who ran the kiosk just outside the store." It's rare to find a moment of real humanity amid the live coverage, which compiles interviews with witnesses who are clearly in shock.
This all brings to mind this breakdown of media coverage of mass shootings. With shootings happening so often, they've become their own media cycle.
4:49pm—Police at a press conference at the mall say the "shooter has been neutralized." It's not clear whether the shooter has been killed or just taken into custody. The police are getting conflicting reports of one shooter versus two shooters, but say that no shooting is occurring any more and one shooter, at least, is "neutralized." Contrary to previous reports confirming two people dead in the shooting, the police at the most recent briefing confirmed only one death.
Police are still trying to get everyone out of the mall. Some groups of employees or mall-goers have locked themselves in rooms and have yet to be found.
Governor Kitzhaber has a brief statement on the shooting: "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims. I have directed state police to make any and all resources available to local law enforcement."
The next press briefing is scheduled for 5:30pm. According to PDX commute, the Green Line is running again.
We seem to have entered the sad point of time where discussion of mass shootings devolves into discussions of traffic problems caused by mass shootings.
4:30 pm— Over the police scanner, cops report that they found 20 people hiding in a storeroom, who will be lead to safety. Sounds like police from numerous jurisdictions are trying to evacuate the mall. The majority of the upper and lower levels of the mall have been cleared.
Original post:
At 3:20 pm today, someone fired dozens of shots in the food court at Clackamas Town Center, according to numerous news reports. At least 60 shots appear to have been fired.
KATU news, which is streaming coverage of the shooting, quotes a witness who saw "a bunch of people were screaming and running by and kind of in a panic and they were yelling that there was a shooting." The station is reporting that up to seven people have been shot and retweeted this photo of people hiding inside the mall.
Police have reported that two people are confirmed dead. It's unclear whether the shooter (or shooters) is still on the loose. Reports indicate that the shooter was a single white male teenager wearing a hockey mask, body armor, and bearing an assault rifle, but that's unconfirmed.
Police and emergency services have surrounded the mall and have blocked every entrance. Stay away from the area if you can—the I-205 on-ramp near the mall is closed and the Green Line is ending its line at Fuller Street, rather than Clackamas Town Center.
On Twitter, Matt Bors pointed out this number: 36 days since America's last mass shooting.
Updates as soon we have them.