Shooting at Phoenix office

Shooting at Phoenix office

A SWAT team member is seen outside the office building where a gunman opened fire. (Joshua Lott/Reuters)

At least three people were shot at an office complex in Phoenix on Wednesday, police there said, and a manhunt for the shooter is under way.

Witnesses said they heard as many as 10 gunshots fired.

According to Sgt. Tommy Thompson, the building was evacuated and the suspect fled the scene. The shooting—which occurred in the building's lobby—does not appear to be a random act, he noted, though he would not say if the suspect knew the victims.

Three victims were transferred to John C. Lincoln Hospital with gunshot wounds, said Thompson. Their conditions were not immediately known, but according to Phoenix's NBC affiliate, one was in "extremely critical condition."
At least three other people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries related to the shooting.
A SWAT team began canvasing a neighborhood in search of the suspected shooter described by Thompson as an "older" white male, possibly in his 60s.
“At this point we don’t believe he is in the area,” Thompson said. “This doesn’t appear to be a random type of incident.”

The shooting occurred on the same day former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords—who was shot in the head during a mass shooting in Tuscon in 2011—testified at a Senate hearing on the proposed gun control law.

"Speaking is difficult but I need to say something important," Giffords said at the top of the hearing. "Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous, Americans are counting on you."
Giffords' husband Mark Kelly, who also testified at the hearing, broke the news of the workplace shooting to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
"While we are having this hearing, in Phoenix, Arizona, there has been what appears to be a shooting with multiple victims," Kelly said. "I certainly agree that universal background checks will go a long way to saving people's lives."