Four dead in shooting at mall in Washington state: Police

Four people have been shot dead at a mall in northwest Washington state and the gunman has fled the scene, police said on social media.

The shooting occurred at about 7:30pm local time Friday at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, about 65 miles north of Seattle, Washington State Patrol spokesman Mark Francis said in a Twitter post.

Francis said police were actively searching for the shooter, who had posted a photo of rescue workers outside of the mall.

"EMS starting to enter to attend to injured inside mall with police escort and after initial clearance," Francis said in a Twitter post.