Four people are confirmed dead after a shooting at a shopping center in the northwestern state of Washington in the US. Police say the suspect is still on the loose.

Police are searching for a suspect after a shooting spree at a local mall in Burlington, Washington left four people dead on Friday.

Sergeant Mark Francis of the Washington State Patrol confirmed in a press conference that four victims - all women - were killed in the shooting. A fifth victim is in critical condition and has been transferred to a trauma center at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center.

Francis said the shooting took place near the makeup counter of the Macy's department store at the mall and that a long, hunting-style rifle was used.

Police are clearing the mall of survivors, who will be put on busses and taken to a nearby church. The entire mall is being treated as a crime scene.

Officials from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI are involved in the investigation as well.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has urged residents in the area to"Follow detour warnings, [and] stay close to friends and loved ones."

The Cascade Mall in Burlington is about 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Seattle. The Canadian border is about 80 kilometers to the north along Interstate 5.

(DW)