Gunman remains at large after shooting five people at Connecticut mall

A gunman is still on the loose after a shooting at a Waterbury, Connecticut, mall on Tuesday that resulted in five people being shot, according to police.

Waterbury Police Department Chief Fernando Spagnolo told reporters none of the victims were fatally wounded and all of them were transported and treated at area hospitals.

Police were called to the Brass Mill Center Mall at about 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday for a report of a disturbance.

When officers arrived, they located five victims who were struck by gunfire.

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"We do not believe this was a random act of violence," Spagnolo said. "We believe this started as a conflict and it escalated. We do know that there was one gunman at this time [whom] we've identified. That gunman was armed with a semi-automatic pistol."

The chief also said evidence has been recovered from the scene that is helping to identify the type of weapon used, and "hopefully" the shooter, through various investigative means and forensic technology.

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State Police, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are assisting police with the investigation, which includes the collection of video and digital evidence.

"This is going to be a very lengthy and ongoing and active investigation," Spagnolo said.

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He also said there is currently no danger to the public, though he advised anyone to report anything suspicious to the police.

The investigation into the matter is ongoing.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont called the shooting "tragic" in a post on X.

"This afternoon there was a tragic mass shooting at the Bass Mill Center in Waterbury, a place where everyone should feel safe. We are grateful to law enforcement, who acted swiftly," the governor wrote. "Details are still forthcoming, but the @CT_STATE_POLICE  will be assisting @WaterburyPD with the investigation. Our hearts break for the Waterbury community, the victims, and their families who have been impacted by this incident."

White House rages at House Democrat for ‘shameful’ Memorial Day trip to visit suspected MS-13 gangbanger

The White House ripped Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., for making a "shameful" Memorial Day trip to El Salvador in an attempt to visit deported illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

The White House’s rapid response account said of Ivey's trip, "This moron spent his Memorial Day trying (and failing) to visit a criminal illegal immigrant gangbanger in a foreign country. For Democrats, criminal illegals > American citizens every time."

Ivey posted about the attempted visit on his X account, saying that he represents Abrego Garcia, and that the Salvadoran government stonewalled his efforts to conduct a welfare check.

"Today, I was denied access to seeing my constituent, Mr. Kilmar Abrego Garcia. If there is nothing to hide, cut the crap. Let his lawyer and I check on him," he said. "I’m the congressman who represents Kilmar and I came all the way down from the United States after we contacted their ambassador, after we made formal requests through our ambassador to the El Salvadoran government, and we came here to visit him today."

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"We need to bring him home. I won’t stop until we do," Ivey added in an X post.

Abrego Garcia’s deportation to his home country, El Salvador, has caused significant controversy. The Trump administration has pointed to evidence suggesting that Abrego Garcia was involved with MS-13 and human trafficking to justify his deportation. The administration has also cited court documents detailing Abrego Garcia’s alleged physical abuse of his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura. Democrats, meanwhile, say he is a "Maryland man" who was not given his due process in court before being deported. 

Since Abrego Garcia’s deportation, several Democrats, including Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., have made trips to El Salvador to conduct similar wellness checks and to advocate for his release.

The trips have stirred significant controversy as well, with many asking why Democrats are spending so much time advocating for a suspected gang member who was unlawfully present in the U.S.

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The video also caught the attention of White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson.

Jackson told Fox News Digital that "it’s shameful, and an insult to the American people, that a Democrat Congressman spent his Memorial Day trying to visit a deported illegal alien, MS-13 terrorist, human-trafficker, and wife beater."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"This pathetic stunt tells you everything you need to know about the priorities of the modern Democrat party – they’re putting criminal illegals over American citizens all the time," said Jackson.

In addition to the wife beating evidence, Fox News Digital has previously reported on documents detailing Abrego Garcia being stopped by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper after he was "observed speeding" and unable to stay in his lane in 2022. The trooper noticed eight individuals in the car with Abrego Garcia, who said he began driving three days prior from Houston to Temple Hills, Maryland, via St. Louis to "perform construction work." 

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The report states that the trooper suspected it was a human trafficking incident, as there was no luggage in the vehicle. Additionally, the individuals in the car reportedly gave the same address as Abrego Garica's home address.

When speaking with the trooper, Abrego Garcia allegedly "pretended to speak less English than he was capable of and attempted to put encountering officer off-track by responding to questions with questions." After the incident, the officer decided not to give Abrego Garcia a citation for the driving infractions, but rather to give him a warning for driving with an expired license. 

The White House has not held back in its criticisms of Van Hollen's visit. In April, the White House tweeted side-by-side photos of Trump meeting with the mother of Rachel Morin, who was murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023, and Van Hollen sitting with Abrego Garcia with the caption, "We are not the same."

Rachel Morin was a Maryland resident, as is her mother, Patty, who said that Van Hollen had not reached out to her since her daughter was murdered.

Van Hollen responded to this criticism in a Fox News interview in which he said he "did have concern" for the Morin family and his "heart goes out to every Maryland family that is the victim of violence." Van Hollen also said that "there is zero connection between the horrible murder of Rachel Morin and the situation with Abrego Garcia." 

Ivey did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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