At least two people have died after a mass shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Police were called to an apartment building on Wednesday at around 4.36pm local time as residents were forced to flee their homes.
Police response and mysterious haze
Emergency services were called after gunfire was reported and police swarmed the building to find a 'haze' that impaired their vision on the upper floors. Minneapolis Police Interim Chief Bill Peterson said: 'We don't know whether it was smoke or if there was some other event that caused that haze in the upper level floor.'
Four officers are said to have experienced 'adverse effects' from the mystery substance. One person died at the scene while another died later in hospital.
Shooter killed and investigation underway
The shooter was also killed in the incident, with Peterson confirming they were 'familiar with who this individual was'. It's unknown how the shooter died, with initial investigation suggesting a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to CNN.
Injured people had gathered in the lobby and were later removed on stretchers while others had hidden in their homes. Police had been called to the building earlier in the day to resolve a dispute after someone was evicted. It's not known if this person was involved in the shooting.
Official reaction and ongoing probe
'I am just truly sickened and deeply saddened that once again there is a senseless crime of gun violence that took the lives of more than one innocent victim and injured numerous others,' Peterson said.
Residents were kept from returning to the building while the investigation was carried out, with police even having to physically remove a man who walked into the cordoned-off zone.
