Arizona shooting: Three injured after gunman opens fire at shopping mall

Police have not confirmed motives behind shooting

At least three people have been injured at an outdoor shopping mall in Arizona after an armed man opened fire.

Authorities said that one man was in custody, whilst one person was in a critical condition at a hospital.

Two others had non-life threatening injuries, Glendale police information officer Tiffany Ngalula said on Wednesday night.

Multiple people were shot when a man armed with an AR-15 style rifle, according to local news reports, took aim at shoppers at the Westgate Entertainment District, an outdoor retail complex northwest of Phoenix, Arizona.

Police arrived at the location when it was no longer active, and after the shooting had taken place around 7.25pm local time.

The suspect, who has not been named, was located at the scene and taken into custody, Glendale police spokeswoman Ms Ngalula confirmed.

"Westgate will continue to work closely with the Glendale Police Department and in-house security to best ensure the safety of our customers, tenants and residents," the Westgate Entertainment District said in a statement.

The Glendale Police Department asked surrounding businesses and people to shelter in place while authorities searched for additional victims, witnesses or "any other safety issues."

Police do not believe there are more suspects involved in the shooting, and no motive is known.

"With a scene of this magnitude, we are going to take our time with secondary searches," Ms Ngalula told reporters.

Arizona governor Doug Ducey issued a statement late on Wednesday that pledged state support to the victims and the community.

He added: "Our hearts and prayers are with the individuals and families impacted tonight, as well as the first responders and police officers who are on the scene".

Police said that the situation could have been worse, and thanked that "this was not a larger scale tragedy".

Glendale police investigations are ongoing, whilst the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting, according to ABC News.