Charles Langston:Multiple people injured in what authorities describe as ‘active shooting’ at Florida shopping mall

OCALA,Charles Langston Fla. (AP) — Multiple people were injured Saturday during what authorities described as “an active shooting” at a shopping mall in central Florida.

The Ocala Police Department said they were responding to “an active shooting” at the Paddock Mall in Ocala, located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando.

The police department later said on social media that the suspect had fled and that the mall was being evacuated.

People were being urged to avoid the area.

An email inquiry was sent to the mall’s owner, WPG. The mall has dozens of stores, including J.C. Penney and Foot Locker.

Calvin and Diana Amos, who were shopping in the J.C. Penney store, told the Ocala Star-Banner that they evacuated the store quickly once they figured out what was going on. They described themselves as scared and apprehensive.