Two killed in US restaurant shooting

A shooting at a crowded restaurant in an Arizona state mall has left two dead, authorities said.

The incident happened at the Firebirds restaurant inside the La Encantada mall in north Tucson during an altercation between three people who knew each other. The fight led to the shooting at about 7.30 p.m. on Friday, said officials.

The shooting was confined to the restaurant, said Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesman Cody Gress, reported CNN on Saturday.

One woman was injured with a gunshot to the leg and is being treated at a local hospital, Gress said.

"All three individuals were known to each other, but the specifics of the relationship are unknown," he said.

Authorities said it's unclear how the situation escalated into a shooting.

"It looked like two gentlemen were fighting, it was hard to tell," witness Laura Harder told CNN affiliate KGUN-TV in Tucson.

"I saw a gun come out and he just shot him in the head right in front of us."

Harder said the restaurant was full when she noticed something was happening at a nearby table.

After the shooting, she saw how the gunman grabbed the other man's companion by the arm and pushed her down a hallway.

Harder heard two more gunshots while crawling on the ground for an exit.

"I assumed he had shot her," she said.

As gunshots erupted, patrons began screaming and running out of the restaurant.

"There were probably about 10 shots. It was pretty harrowing," said another witness.

--IANS

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