Child Among Four Killed in California Mass Shooting

At least four people, including a child, have been shot and killed, and one person injured following an exchange of fire at an office building in the US state of California, police said.

The attack took place in the city of Orange as the shooter, whose motivations are so far unknown, was shot by an officer and taken to hospital, police said, adding that the suspect’s condition was not known.

Police did not release any more information about the victims but said a fifth individual had been hospitalised.

The incident began at approximately 5:30pm local time (00:30 GMT) on the upper floor of a small office building in Orange.

Police and the suspect exchanged fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Officers arrived as shots were being fired and located multiple victims at the scene including fatalities. An officer-involved shooting occurred,” the Orange Police Department said in a post to their Facebook page.

“The situation has been stabilised and there is no threat to the public,” it added.

California Governor Gavin Newsom posted on Twitter: “Horrifying and heartbreaking. Our hearts are with the families impacted by this terrible tragedy tonight.”

“I’m deeply saddened by reports of a mass shooting in Orange County, and I’m continuing to keep victims and their loved ones in my thoughts as we continue to learn more,” US Representative Katie Porter from California also tweeted.

This comes after two other high-profile mass shootings earlier this month, which set off a renewed debate about gun control measures in the US.

On March 22, 10 people were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, less than a week after a man shot and killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at spas in Atlanta, Georgia.

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