Eaton Centre a 'panicked' scene, local eyewitness says

A CBC Newfoundland and Labrador journalist is describing the tense scene at Toronto’s Eaton Centre Saturday evening, when a deadly shooting spree broke out that left one person dead and several others injured.

CBC Radio's Morning Show associate producer Caroline Hillier says she was shopping on the floor above where the incident occurred.

She says the background music in the mall suddenly stopped and a number of people rushed into the store as a directive sounded.

"A voice came over the loud speaker ... saying that the mall was being evacuated and that everyone had to rush out of the Eaton Centre," Hillier said.

She says there were thousands of people in the mall, and many were visibly shaken by the experience.

"I think everyone was shocked; the shoppers, the store employees," Hillier said. "It took a few minutes to sink in but once the mall management came over the loudspeaker and everyone was just rushing out of the mall, people were clearly panicked."

Police in Toronto are still searching for both the suspect and the motive behind the shooting spree.