3 dead including believed suspect in Maryland mall shooting Police confirm three dead including the believed suspect in a shooting at a suburban Baltimore mall. Authorities responding to an active shooting at the Mall in Columbia found three people dead, including one who was found near a shotgun and ammunition. A Howard County Police Department news release said there were no reports of shots fired since the body was discovered. Police have not confirmed the identities of any people involved and said it isn't clear if the shooter and victims knew each other. Police said the the area was "believed to be secure," in a tweet issued at about 12:36 p.m. Howard County General Hospital said in a statement they received four patients related to the shooting, and said they are all in good condition. The hospital said one patient is a shooting victim and three sustained other injuries. Howard County Police Chief William J. McMahon said police are relatively confident that there was only one shooter, and have not confirmed a possible motive. The mall was closed to the public as police went store to store looking for people who might still be hiding. The mall typically opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays and was busy with shoppers and employees when shots rang out before noon. Joan Harding of Elkridge, Md., was shopping with her husband, David, for a tiara for their granddaughter's 18th birthday. She said she heard something heavy falling, followed by gunshots and people running. "My husband said, 'Get down!' and the girl that worked in the store said, `Get in the back,' " Harding said. That is where they hid until police gave the all-clear. Witnesses said they heard a succession of gunshots fired near the food court on the first floor of the mall. McMahon said the shooting occurred at a store on the upper floor. People were directed out of the mall and into a parking lot, where some boarded a bus and others walked toward their cars. Some people were seen crying. McMahon said detectives were interviewing witnesses as they emerged from the mall to try to get a better picture of the events that had unfolded. Laura McKinzles of Columbia works at a kiosk in the mall. She said she heard between eight and 10 gunshots, followed by people running and screaming. She ran into the backroom of a perfume store and locked the door. The Maryland mall is at the center of the town, a suburb of both Baltimore and Washington. Click for more from MyFoxDC.com.