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One suspect in custody after 9 wounded in South Carolina mall shooting, police say

Police believe there were two shooters at Columbiana Centre, but it's unclear if the man arrested is suspected of being one of them.
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Police made an arrest following Saturday's South Carolina mall shooting in which nine were shot and five others sustained injuries while fleeing, police said.

All the injured have been treated and released except a 73-year-old woman, who remained hospitalized, the Columbia Police Department said Saturday night.

Investigators now believe there were two shooters. It's not clear if the person arrested on a charge of unlawful possession of a pistol was one of the shooters, the department said.

The 22-year-old man may face additional charges, Columbia police said. He was one of three people detained at Columbiana Centre following the gunfire. The other two have been released, the department said.

"It is believed that the shooting was an isolated incident between the suspects and likely stemmed from an on-going conflict," the police update reads.

Police Chief W. H. “Skip” Holbrook initially said 10 people had been struck by gunfire in the shooting, including two people who were critically injured, and two others were injured while fleeing.

Police later revised the number of victims to 14 after speaking with medical personnel at hospitals. The victims range in age from 15 to 73.

Nine of the victims had gunshot wounds and five had injuries including broken bones, lacerations and a head injury sustained while fleeing, police said Saturday night.

Columbia police said officers responded to the shooting around 2 p.m. and started evacuating the mall.

Holbrook said the initial caller stated gunfire was taking place outside the mall's Gap store. Multiple 911 calls were fielded after that, he said.

Personnel from local sheriff's departments, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the call.

Officers made an initial sweep of the mall to find the injured and a second more thorough clearing of the facility, which Holbrook described as "large."

Investigators also combed through security video and spoke with witnesses, and police later said they believe at three people displayed firearms at the mall and were trying to identify at least two other people who were seen with guns.

A preliminary examination of evidence indicates at least two different firearms were used by two people, police said.

Cindy Rectenwald and her adult daughter Rachel Turney were wrapping up lunch at the mall's food court when the mother said the sound of a heavy rainstorm had her looking up.

“People [were] racing and screaming and yelling and running toward the exit in the food court," she said. "We realized what we had heard was an automatic weapon — gunfire."

Police have not said if the shooting involved an automatic weapon.

Turney said after her mother tried to hide under a table they ran for their vehicle.

“I said, 'We got to get up, we got to get out,'" she said. "We didn’t stop running until we got to my car.”

Columbiana Centre is approximately 10 miles from downtown Columbia.

In a statement the mall said, "Today’s isolated, senseless act of violence is extremely upsetting and our thoughts are with everyone impacted."l on Harbison Boulevard has been closed, WIS-TV, NBC's affiliated-station in Columbia reported.

A reunification site has been set up at a Fairfield Inn on 320 Columbiana Drive, police said.