Twelve people were injured and three people have been arrested following a shooting at a Columbia, South Carolina, mall on Saturday afternoon, police said.
The incident occurred on the premises of Columbiana Centre Mall, said Columbia Police Chief William H. "Skip" Holbrook. There were no fatalities reported from the shooting, he said.
Holbrook said three armed people were detained by police, although it is not clear how many people actually fired a weapon. Police believe the shooting was not a random attack, he added.
"We believe the individuals that were armed knew each other, and there was some type of conflict that occurred which resulted in gunfire," Holbrook said in a Saturday afternoon news conference. "This was not a situation where we had some random person show up at a mall to discharge a firearm and injure people."
Of those injured, 10 received gunshot wounds, with eight being transported for treatment and two self-transporting for care, according to Holbrook.
The oldest shooting victim is 73, Holbrook said, and the youngest is 15.
Two of the gunshot victims are in critical but stable condition, he said, and six are in stable condition. Two people suffered non-gunshot-related injuries in what Holbrook described as a "stampede" after the incident.
Police learned about the shooting after receiving a call about gunfire at the mall near the Gap store, Holbrook said.
"We're asking that the public stay out of the area," Holbrook said.
Mall officials issued a statement that was posted by Columbia police on Twitter that said, "Today's isolated, senseless act of violence is extremely upsetting, and our thoughts are with everyone impacted. We are grateful for the quick response and continued support of our security team and our partners in law enforcement."
The mall's main entrance is closed, according to CNN affiliate WIS. Parts of I-26 near Harbison, South Carolina, are closed, WIS reported.
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