Colorado shooting: Two dead and one injured at Walmart in Thornton

News Hour:

At least two people are dead and one injured in a shooting inside a Walmart in a Denver suburb, local police said.

Police in Thornton, Colorado, said two men had died and one woman had been taken to hospital after the shooting. It was not clear if an assailant had been taken into custody. Thornton is about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Denver.

Officer Victor Avila of the Thornton Police Department, had earlier said there were “multiple parties down”.

Reports of shots fired came shortly before 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time, a police spokesman told local 9NEWS in Denver.

An hour after the incident, the situation, the nature of the incident or status of the threat remained unclear, he said.

Local television images showed a number of police cars and ambulances surrounding the store, lights flashing.

Witness says this is near #Thornton, #Colorado #Walmart. Police say “multiple parties” are down after a shooting. (Per @TheWilliamCrail) pic.twitter.com/fjKLwh1FnQ

— Chris Stewart (@CStewartWPTV) November 2, 2017

Aaron Stephens, 44, was in the self-checkout line when he heard a single shot followed by more bursts of gunfire, The Denver Post reported. He said customers started screaming and running for the exits.

“I was scared. I feared for my life,” said Stephens, who has lived in Thornton for 20 years.

Meanwhile, Brandon Bonney said he received a call from his brother, who was inside the store.

“Bro, I’m inside Walmart, and there’s a shooting here,” Bonney said his brother told him.

Bonney told his brother to silence his phone, stay calm and “just get somewhere and hide,” The Post reported.

Investigators have not released any details about the circumstances of the shooting or the condition of the injured woman.

Empty Walmart after Customers evacuated after shooting at Thornton Walmart on Grant Street in Thorntonpic.twitter.com/K0pDQ58FVX

— ??TrumpRussia?? (@TrumpEra_2017) November 2, 2017

Local NBC affiliate 9NEWS reported that a woman whose son was in Walmart had told her that he had heard about 30 gunshots and was still inside.

A video posted on Twitter showed the store apparently empty except for police officers with guns drawn.

One woman on Facebook said her son had told her there was a shooting at the store.

“OMG! My son Nathan just called me shooting at Thornton Walmart just now..many shots fired!!” Junie Toni Manz wrote on Facebook.

“Angela Martinez-Garcia and her son Johnny and her mom Meka were in the store during shooting and had to run out…They are shaken up.”