Gunman kills 2 and self in Oregon mall

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A gunman opened fire in a suburban shopping mall Tuesday, killing two people and wounding another as people were doing their Christmas shopping, authorities said.

Clackamas County sheriff's Lt. James Rhodes said the gunman was dead and, later, police said the gunman had apparently shot himself. Rhodes said law enforcement who flooded the Clackamas Town Center in response to the afternoon shooting didn't fire any shots.

Witnesses described a scene of chaos and disbelief as a gunman wearing a camouflage outfit and a white mask shot an initial burst of fire and then more rounds in the mall. Shoppers tried to find safe areas as teams of police officers began entering the mall to find the shooter.

Authorities were going store-to-store to secure the scene and to escort hiding shoppers outside, but Rhodes said there was no indication that there was more than one shooter.

Austin Patty, 20, who works at Macy's, said he saw a man in a white mask carrying a rifle and wearing a bulletproof vest.

He heard the gunman say "I am the shooter," as if announcing himself, Patty said. He then fired several shots paced seconds apart. Patty said he ducked to the ground, then ran.

Shaun Wik, 20, from Fairview, said he was Christmas shopping with his girlfriend and was at the food court. He heard three shots, he said, and a man he believes was the gunman shout, "Get down!" but Wik and his girlfriend ran.

Wik heard seven or eight more shots. He didn't turn around. "If I had looked back, I might not be standing here," he said.

Kira Rowland told KGW-TV she was shopping at Macy's with her infant son when the shots started. "Everybody got on the ground. I grabbed the baby from the stroller and got on the ground."

Rowland said she heard people screaming and crying. "I put the baby back in the stroller and ran like hell," she said. "It was awful."