Suspect's vehicle located miles away after man shot inside Harford Mall

BALTIMORE - A man was injured in a shooting Sunday afternoon at Harford Mall in Bel Air, and the suspect's vehicle was located miles away, according to police.

Officers responded to the mall around 4:06 p.m. for a reported shooting, which was initially treated as an active shooter situation until more information was gathered.

A vehicle believed to be that of the suspect was found unoccupied in Edgewood, while the shooter remains on the run, Bel Air Police said.

Officers said the vehicle initially reported was a red SUV, but they did not say what type of vehicle was located.

The suspect's identity is being withheld because of the investigation, police said. 

"Based on witness accounts, we're able to identify a possible suspect vehicle, which led us to a possible suspect," Bel Air Police Cpl. Keith Smithson said. "The suspect's not in custody, we can't release anything more on that."

The mall was cleared at around 5:30 p.m. Officers say there is no threat to the immediate area, but people should continue to avoid the area during the investigation.  

Police said the shooting appears to be an isolated incident involving one victim and one suspect.  

The Bel Air Police, Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff's Office, as well as units from Aberdeen and Havre de Grace volunteer fire companies, responded to the shooting. 

Witnesses or anyone with additional information should contact Det. Sgt. Marchesani at 410-638-4500.    

"Training has paid off"  

Smithson said the initial response was heightened because of the nature of a call but was reduced once police secured the area.

"Training has paid off," Smithson said. "I'll say that in the response to this. We don't have this often but we train for this often and it showed today."  

Victim expected to survive

The victim was taken to the hospital where he is stable, according to police.

"On arrival, our officers immediately came in contact with a victim, an adult male," Smithson said. "They rendered aid to the victim who's in stable condition and has been transported to a Baltimore hospital." 

"It was pretty scary"

Keely Hoffman, who was working at the Greene Turtle when the shots were fired, told WJZ she saw law enforcement flood the area, and she was scared the gunman would enter her restaurant.

"The helicopter showed up and ambulances, and like cops were literally flooding everywhere," Hoffman said. "And I have like severe anxiety, so I was like, 'I need to get out of here, like we're trapped. I can't leave, I don't know what's gonna happen.'"

Ethan Scott said he was shopping across the street when he saw police arrive and people running from the mall.

"It was pretty scary seeing how terrified everybody else was," Scott said. "But other than that, I just was in shock," Scott said.

Scott said his greatest fear was that the altercation would make its way outside and there would be indiscriminate fire.

"That there would be a shootout in the parking lot and like straight bullets would come over here and I would get hit by one."