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| Gunman goes on rampage at US mall | Gunman goes on rampage at US mall |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A gunman has opened fire in a shopping centre in the US state of Nebraska, killing eight people before fatally shooting himself, police say. | A gunman has opened fire in a shopping centre in the US state of Nebraska, killing eight people before fatally shooting himself, police say. |
| A further five people were wounded - two critically - in the shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha. | A further five people were wounded - two critically - in the shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha. |
| Police have identified the gunman as Robert Hawkins, 19, from Bellevue, close to Omaha. They said a suicide note had been recovered. | Police have identified the gunman as Robert Hawkins, 19, from Bellevue, close to Omaha. They said a suicide note had been recovered. |
| Hawkins struck as the centre was crowded with Christmas shoppers. | Hawkins struck as the centre was crowded with Christmas shoppers. |
| Witnesses spoke of shoppers screaming and scrambling to find safe shelter as the gunman struck. | Witnesses spoke of shoppers screaming and scrambling to find safe shelter as the gunman struck. |
| He just stood there with his arm like this, his hand straight up in the air, shooting. And then I turned and ran Witness In pictures: Omaha shootings | |
| In a statement, President George W Bush - who visited Omaha earlier in the day for a fundraiser - said he was "deeply saddened" by the shootings. | In a statement, President George W Bush - who visited Omaha earlier in the day for a fundraiser - said he was "deeply saddened" by the shootings. |
| The incident is the latest in a series of mass shootings in the US, which have reignited the debate in the US about gun ownership. | |
| The Supreme Court will consider Americans' right to bear arms early next year for the first time in nearly 70 years. | |
| Hiding | Hiding |
| The shooting in Omaha took place inside the upmarket Von Maur department store at the Westroads Mall. | |
| Police were called at about 1400 local time (2000 GMT), after receiving a call from inside, said Sgt Teresa Negron. | Police were called at about 1400 local time (2000 GMT), after receiving a call from inside, said Sgt Teresa Negron. |
| MASS SHOOTINGS IN 2007 Oct 2007: Asa H Coon, 14, shoots four people, injuring them, at his school in Cleveland, Ohio, before killing himself.April 2007: Cho Seung-hui , 23, shoots 32 people dead on campus of Virginia Tech university, Virginia, then kills himself. Feb 2007: Sulejman Talovic, 18, shoots dead five people and injures four at a mall in Salt Lake City, Utah, before being killed by police. | |
| By the time police arrived at the scene six minutes later, the shooting was over, she said. | |
| Jeff Schaffart was shot in the arm as he spent his lunch break shopping with his wife, Reuters news agency reported. He said he hid in a Von Maur women's bathroom, using his tie as a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. | Jeff Schaffart was shot in the arm as he spent his lunch break shopping with his wife, Reuters news agency reported. He said he hid in a Von Maur women's bathroom, using his tie as a tourniquet to slow the bleeding. |
| "I was obviously very fortunate. Not a lot of people were so fortunate today," said Mr Schaffart. | "I was obviously very fortunate. Not a lot of people were so fortunate today," said Mr Schaffart. |
| Another woman described seeing the gunman on the attack. | Another woman described seeing the gunman on the attack. |
| "I went around and then I saw the guy in the children's department," she said. | "I went around and then I saw the guy in the children's department," she said. |
| "Big tall guy, real tall and he just stood there with his arm like this, his hand straight up in the air, shooting. And then I turned and ran." | "Big tall guy, real tall and he just stood there with his arm like this, his hand straight up in the air, shooting. And then I turned and ran." |
| Witnesses spoke of trying to hide as they waited for police | |
| In an e-mail to the BBC, one Omaha resident, called Julie, said that she had been in a restaurant next door to Von Maur department store when the shooting began. | In an e-mail to the BBC, one Omaha resident, called Julie, said that she had been in a restaurant next door to Von Maur department store when the shooting began. |
| "Someone came in to the restaurant and advised that someone was shooting in the mall and to get out. Everyone started to run out of the small doors in Panera [the restaurant], so we were able to get out very quickly. | "Someone came in to the restaurant and advised that someone was shooting in the mall and to get out. Everyone started to run out of the small doors in Panera [the restaurant], so we were able to get out very quickly. |
| "I heard screaming and loud shots being fired somewhere close by. I got out of the mall before the local police department arrived." | "I heard screaming and loud shots being fired somewhere close by. I got out of the mall before the local police department arrived." |
| Note | Note |
| Sgt Negron told a news conference she could confirm nine deaths, including the gunman. She said five people had been injured, two in critical condition. | Sgt Negron told a news conference she could confirm nine deaths, including the gunman. She said five people had been injured, two in critical condition. |
| "We do not believe that we have any other shooter," she told reporters. | "We do not believe that we have any other shooter," she told reporters. |
| "The person we believe to be the shooter has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound." | "The person we believe to be the shooter has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound." |
| The gunman, Robert Hawkins, is said to have suffered from depression in the past, and recently lost his job at a fast-food restaurant. | The gunman, Robert Hawkins, is said to have suffered from depression in the past, and recently lost his job at a fast-food restaurant. |
| Police confirmed Hawkins left a suicide note. Media reports suggest in the note he said he wanted to be famous. | Police confirmed Hawkins left a suicide note. Media reports suggest in the note he said he wanted to be famous. |
| Mr Bush was in Omaha earlier, but left the city before the shooting occurred. | Mr Bush was in Omaha earlier, but left the city before the shooting occurred. |
| "Having just visited with so many members of the community in Omaha today, the president is confident that they will pull together to comfort one another as they deal with this terrible tragedy," the White House said in a statement. | "Having just visited with so many members of the community in Omaha today, the president is confident that they will pull together to comfort one another as they deal with this terrible tragedy," the White House said in a statement. |
| Were you at or near the scene of the shooting? Send us your accounts. | Were you at or near the scene of the shooting? Send us your accounts. |
| Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |