A Spirit Halloween shopper is recovering at home after fleeing a deadly shooting inside a California mall store that left one person dead and six wounded.
David Bernal’s wife was inside the pop-up seasonal shop at Solano Town Mall in Fairfield when gunfire erupted at approximately 8:30 p.m., her husband told KCRA. She escaped through an exit on the opposite side of the mall as chaos consumed the store.
“She’s at home right now, still in shock,” Bernal said in his interview with the station. “Five big bangs, big ones, like loud.”
The shooting struck seven people total, according to authorities. One victim died at the scene, while three others were left in critical condition following the attack. The remaining victims sustained injuries of varying severity.
Fairfield Police Department Chief Dan Marshall addressed reporters at a press conference on Friday, confirming that detectives had not yet identified or detained any suspects. Investigators declined to specify whether they believed a lone gunman or multiple shooters were responsible for the violence.
“This is still a very active crime scene,” Marshall said. “Detectives are speaking with witnesses and diligently working to identify the suspect responsible for this horrific shooting.”
A manhunt remains underway as law enforcement pursues leads in the case. Police have urged anyone with information about the shooting to come forward as the investigation continues.
The Spirit Halloween location sits within Solano Town Mall, a shopping center in Fairfield, a city of roughly 120,000 residents between Sacramento and San Francisco. The seasonal retailer occupies a temporary space typical of its nationwide model, operating in vacant storefronts during the weeks leading up to Halloween.
Bernal’s account offers one of the first detailed survivor perspectives from inside the store during the attack. His wife’s decision to head for the far-side exit likely placed distance between her and the source of the gunfire, though police have not released information about the shooter’s path through the retail space.
The department has not announced any upcoming press briefings as the investigation proceeds.