3 HURT IN FLORIDA MALL SHOOTING

MIAMI: A shooting at a South Florida shopping mall that was sparked by a fight between two groups of people sent panicked shoppers fleeing and left three persons injured on Saturday afternoon, police and witnesses said. Live aerial television news footage showed people scattering outside the Aventura Mall after the initial reports of gunfire. Law enforcement vehicles could be seen converging at the complex and blocking roads. Aventura Police said two groups of people had begun fighting before it escalated to gunfire. One individual in one of the groups produced a gun, and an individual in the other group also drew a gun and fired that weapon, said an Aventura police spokesman, Michael Bentolila, in briefing reporters on live television. Police said the three wounded were taken to hospitals but their injuries were not life-threatening. Aventura Police later tweeted that authorities had “several suspects” in custody who were being questioned by detectives. Police had no immediate report on what touched off the incident and did not immediately release the identities of those in custody or injured.