There was chaos at a crowded Ventura County shopping center, as gunshots from what authorities believe was a murder-suicide attempt sent people running.
It happened just after 2 p.m. Saturday, at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. Ventura County Sheriff’s office investigators say a woman was shot to death, and a man critically injured.
The shooting was on the eastern side of the mall, in a store called Paper Source.
Hundreds of people fled after hearing the shots, with many ducking into stores where they sheltered in place with employees who locked the doors. Many people feared there might be a gunman roaming the mall.
Sheriff’s deputies quickly determined that the incident was over, and that there wasn’t an armed person with a gun on the loose. It took more than an hour to clear everyone out of the stores, and dozens remained closed for the rest of the day.
The identity of the woman who died, and the man who was wounded haven’t been released. But, authorities say the two had been married.