Emergency vehicles congregate around the entrance to Belk at Southpoint Mall in Durham. AP

Authorities said at least one person was injured when shots were fired on Friday evening near a food court at a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s office said the shooting at the Tacoma Mall was reported at 7:08pm. The Tacoma Police said the victim was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.

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Authorities said in the late afternoon that one person was detained and there was no further threat to the public. A bystander described "mass hysteria” on one of the busiest shopping days of the year as shoppers ducked into stores for cover or ran for the exits, according to The Associated Press.

Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews told reporters the shooting happened around 3:20pm inside The Streets at Southpoint mall during a fight between two groups who knew each other. She said one of the victims was a 10-year-old child hit when a bullet ricocheted. Police said the child's wound did not appear life-threatening. Police did not immediately release further information on the conditions of the other two who were shot.

Hundreds of shoppers sheltered in place or hid inside stores, which immediately went into lockdown. No suspects were in custody.

More than 60 law enforcement officers from Tacoma, Pierce County, Lakewood, Puyallup and the Washington State Patrol were on the scene.

"We’re sending people inside to do a coordinated search,” said Sheriff's Sgt. Darren Moss.

Fredrick Hoskins was shopping with his daughter inside the mall when he heard gunfire.

"There was a boom, boom, boom … boom, boom, boom. Maybe like six shots,” Hoskins, who previously served in the military, told The News Tribune. "It sounded like a revolver, and it sounded like one shooter.”

The Tacoma Mall is the city's largest shopping mall, with more than 100 stores.