Three people were gunned down at a Walmart Supercenter in Colorado — for no apparent reason.
The victims, two men and a woman, were killed Wednesday night in Thornton, just north of Denver.
“We believe as of right now that the shooting was random,” Thornton Police Officer Victor Avila said.
Authorities are searching for the suspect, identified as 47-year-old Scott Ostrem.
The gunman left the store in the same calm demeanor with which he entered, Avila told CNN affiliate KMGH. Police said the suspect fled the scene scene in a red 4-door Mitsubishi Mirage, with Colorado license plate 882 TQB.
Shoppers inside the Walmart described pandemonium after the gunfire started.
“You just hear people running right to the exit yelling, ‘He’s got a gun. He’s got a gun,'” Marcus Smith told CNN affiliate KDVR.
“For some reason these doors weren’t opening. I was pushing on them, pushing on them. … Finally we just keeping pushing the door and it opens up. I have my daughter in my arms and we run out of the door.”
Virginia Samora, whose 15-year-old son was inside the Walmart, told KDVR her son texted her while his phone was on low battery.
“He said, ‘I’m at 1% Mom, my battery is ready to die, but there’s a shooter here at Walmart. If anything happens to me, I love you guys’ ” Samora said.
She said her son was able to get out and he also pulled his friend out through a side entrance.