An assailant was shot after stabbing multiple people Tuesday night at the Galleria mall in Taunton, Massachusetts, and a residence in the town, said David Procopio, spokesman for the Massachusetts State Police.
At least two stabbings occurred at the mall after the assailant crashed a motor vehicle into the front of a store, Procopio said. The other two stabbings appear to have been committed at the residence.
An off-duty law enforcement officer shot the assailant at the mall, authorities said. His condition was not immediately known.
The assailant may have been involved in an earlier motor vehicle crash at the residence before the stabbings, Procopio said.
All four victims survived and were at area hospitals. Some of their injuries may be life-threatening, authorities said.
A federal law enforcement source in Boston said the incident is being treated as a “criminal matter” and that it’s too soon to tell if there’s any connection to terrorism.
The FBI is aware of the situation and coordinating with state and local police, said Kristen Setera, spokeswoman for the Boston FBI field office.