A shooting was reported near Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York, on Wednesday, forcing a public schools lockout, ABC-7 reported.
A man walked into a building nearby and shot two people, killing one of them, before fleeing the scene, NBC and the New York Post reported.
Police are searching for an approximately 6-foot-2 Asian male wearing brown or gray suit jacket with a red shirt, and who apparently fled in a white Honda Pilot with a FMA-3648 license plate, CBS New York reported. It was reported that the man is 63 years old and used to work at Savenergy, where he opened fire.
The suspect was identified as Sang Ho Kim, a 64-year-old man from Queens, according to local reports.
Nassau County Police Chief Steven Skrynecki told NBC New York that the shooting was “over a bad business deal.” They said the shooting was not at random.
The shooting was reported at South Street and Ring Road in East Garden City.
Most of the road exits are blocked near the mall, which was placed on lockdown. No shoppers are allowed to enter or exit the facility, the mall said on its Twitter account. At around 12:40 p.m., the mall lockdown was lifted.
There are seven public schools in Garden City, according to the school district website: Garden City High School, Garden City Middle School, Stewart School, Stratford Avenue School, Homestead School, Locust School, and Hemlock School.
Garden City School District Superintendent Robert Feirsen said students are being held in school buildings.
He said, “We holding all the students in the buildings at this time. We are in lockout in all public school in Garden City,” reported ABC-7.
A lockout means that people who are not from affected schools cannot enter.
“Currently on lock down in Garden City high school. Apparently there was a shooting down the road by Roosevelt Field mall,” student Cassandra Ratti wrote on Twitter.
“Wait, my parents were afraid for me to go to school in the city but obviously we know [expletive] like this happens everywhere... #GardenCity,” another wrote.
The Nassau County Community College campus was also placed on lockdown, said CBS.
Numerous Nassau County and Garden City police officers were seen combing through the area. Police helicopters were seen flying overhead.
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