Reports of a shooting at the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus, N.J., had stores on lockdown Monday night.
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/397554925820866560
#BREAKING Reports of shots fired at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ. There is a heavy police presence @ the scene. Reporter on the way
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) November 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/Doctor_Google/status/397550581143072768
Police responded in force Monday evening after shots were fired inside the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall.
The shots were reported inside the mall, sometime before the mall in Paramus, N.J. closed for the night at 9:30 p.m.
In a tweet, Ocean County police, fire and EMS reported multiple agencies were responding to the mall in Bergen County for reports of an active shooter and shots fired.
New Jersey: Police are o/s at the Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus NJ for a man with a mask and a assault rifle is firing at the mall.
— News Headquarters (@TheNewsHQ) November 5, 2013
When my brother calls my mom telling her that he was closing his store in the mall and heard gun shots?? #wtfisgoingon
— Ma (@melissaxoxo_28) November 5, 2013
Active scene Garden State Plaza. Shots fired pic.twitter.com/9AfDURNnzF
— Rob Munoz (@Tank20820) November 5, 2013
UPDATE: Some people have been locked down inside stores. One person inside heard at least two bangs #GardenStatePlaza
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) November 5, 2013
Recommended
There are many unconfirmed reports of a shooter wearing body armor.
https://twitter.com/SteeZeyFLOW/status/397554516239085568
Man in full body armor and a long gun just entered Garden State Plaza in Paramus. Multiple sources reporting.
— Nihal Khan (@nihal201) November 5, 2013
Law enforcement scanner traffic reported a male wearing body armor and a rifle in the mall http://t.co/cECOjAVykr
— DanRiehl (@DanRiehl) November 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/SocialMia/status/397559557796278272
Witness at Garden State Plaza Mall tells CNN she saw someone dressed in all black with what looked like body armor and a large rifle.
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) November 5, 2013
Police have flooded the Garden State Paza mall as they search for gunman dressed black carrying high powered weapon pic.twitter.com/N6kXosgd6S
— Ida Siegal (@idasiegal4ny) November 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/passantino/status/397561486056247296
https://twitter.com/mzekes/status/397565488236339200
Witnesses say sole gunman fired shots into the air as he approached Nordstrom. #GardenStatePlaza pic.twitter.com/CVxsOGu3SJ
— Ida Siegal (@idasiegal4ny) November 5, 2013
Law enforcement source says gunman at Garden State Plaza mall "dressed in all black body armor" http://t.co/SdMUAftTCv
— New York Post (@nypost) November 5, 2013
This tweeter claims to have been inside the mall.
https://twitter.com/lacocaiina/status/397554902001385472
https://twitter.com/GodDamnVel/status/397556072736497664
https://twitter.com/lacocaiina/status/397556424043425793
https://twitter.com/lacocaiina/status/397564224064733185
https://twitter.com/lacocaiina/status/397564654547140608
There was a shooting in the Garden State Mall. My brother works there and he says he is ok but I am still scared for him. #please #be #ok
— ANT™ (@AntoinetteGyles) November 5, 2013
Spoke w/Nordstrom employee who heard shots fired, saw the gunman & ran for her life at Garden State Mall. pic.twitter.com/OgaMW74oEh
— Tracee Carrasco (@CarrascoTV) November 5, 2013
Spoke w/ another Garden State Mall employee who rushed confused, scared & shocked customers out of his store when they heard shots fired.
— Tracee Carrasco (@CarrascoTV) November 5, 2013
https://twitter.com/lacocaiina/status/397567015491493889
https://twitter.com/lacocaiina/status/397567372640657408
As of 10:45 p.m., there have been no reports on injuries, though authorities believe the alleged shooter is still inside the mall.
Jeanne Baratta, Chief of Staff w/ Bergen Co who was just updated by Bergen Co SWAT tells #CNN, there are NO reports of injures at the mall.
— Jennifer Feldman (@jenniferfeldman) November 5, 2013
Massive police presence, guns drawn walking outside Nordstrom at Garden State Plaza Mall. pic.twitter.com/fXQwpteNdw
— Tracee Carrasco (@CarrascoTV) November 5, 2013
Here is a photo from the scene at the #GardenStatePlaza We have reporters at the scene. Stay with us @ 11 pic.twitter.com/89p5mWFHRF
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) November 5, 2013
Store-by-store security sweep continues in Paramus NJ mall. So far, no one injured. Shooter not found but many report seeing him firing gun.
— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) November 5, 2013
As of midnight, Paramus Mayor Rich LaBarbiera told CNN that only one shell casing has been found in the mall and no injuries have been reported. The mall is no longer an active shooting scene but is being treated as a crime scene.
Mayor of Paramus, NJ: There's been no injuries…There was a single shot fired. #AC360
— Jess Conner (@Jecon) November 5, 2013
[Update, 11/5/13, 6:10 a.m. ET]
The suspect, named as 20-year-old Richard Shoop of Teaneck, reportedly committed suicide inside the mall.
POLICE UPDATE…Shooter dead. Shot himself in a store at Garden State Plaza mall.
— Kurt Siegelin (@kurtsiegelin) November 5, 2013
More info here:
DETAILS: Authorities say Garden State Plaza Mall shooting suspect #RichardShoop dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound http://t.co/3FIPcHhBBT
— 10News (@10News) November 5, 2013
The mall will remain closed on Tuesday.
Garden State Plaza CLOSED today-20 year old Richard Shoop found dead with a self-inflicted gun-shot wound. No other injuries. #njmorningshow
— Cara Di Falco (@CaraDiFalco) November 5, 2013
Per local authorities, the mall will be closed on Tuesday, Nov 5th. We'll continue to advise of the mall operational schedule as appropriate
— Garden State Plaza (@GSPlaza) November 5, 2013
NBC News tweeted this photo of suspect Richard Shoop:
Officials release photo of suspected NJ mall shooter Richard Shoop; gunman is dead and no other injuries reported pic.twitter.com/Nxk6tXWRCH
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 5, 2013
Twitchy will update this post as details emerge.