3 people were killed in a shooting by the public at the Royal Palm Beach shopping plaza

A man, a woman and a child were killed in a Publix supermarket Thursday, officials said the shooter was among the dead, and officials said the incident was not an active shooting case. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting took place inside the store near the produce department shortly after 11:30 a.m. The Palm Beach Post reported that the victims, a woman and her grandson, may have known each other. The baby was going to be two years old this month, and no names have been released. At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Mayor spokesman Terry Barbera said investigators were talking to witnesses and reviewing surveillance video. “This was not an active shooting situation,” Barbera Joan Guardia said in a statement “This violence must stop”: Authorities arrested 3 teens linked to a fatal shooting at a graduation party in Florida when chaos erupted, “I heard,” they are shooting fire! A woman working at Publix said, ‘Run! Shoot!’ recalls Guardia. “I was scared. It’s sad because everything happened so quickly. Everyone was running. Some of the staff were crying.” Multiple patrol cars arrived at The Crossroads Mall shortly before noon. A helicopter from the mayor’s office hovered in the air over the store, a Palm Beach County Rescue car was at the scene, and while a few Publix employees were allowed to leave the store, it appeared that most workers and some customers were being held inside until they were interviewed by deputies. At about 2:30 p.m., some workers began to leave the store, and law enforcement officials were checking license cards on cars in the parking lot. People were not allowed to move their vehicles, and nearby residents expressed shock. “This is such a friendly pub,” said Tracy Green, who often shops in the store. “I can’t believe this crazy thing happened.” “This is not a Publix problem. This is a people problem,” said Oahtee Moody, a Royal Palm Beach resident who lives across the street from the store. “I was born and raised here, and I never expect that to happen.” Assault Weapons Ban: A federal judge compares an AR-15 rifle to a Swiss army knife in the ruling that overturned the assault weapons ban in California. Culture of Murder Publix has more than 1,200 stores in seven states in the southeastern US, Maria Bruce, a spokeswoman for Publix, told USA TODAY that the company has been cooperating with local law enforcement. “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy,” Bruce said. County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, who represents the district, said in a statement that the shooting was “heartbreaking.” “Today we mourn the loss of these lives and we pray for those who witnessed this tragedy inside the Publix as well as for the first responders who continue to run into danger to protect the public. Tomorrow we must step up and engage in a very honest conversation about why this is happening and what can be done specifically to prevent That violence. Inaction is not an option.” Royal Palm Beach is a village of about 40,000 residents, according to Census Bureau data. The village is located about 15 miles inland, to the west of West Palm Beach. Contributing: Associated Press