Phoenix shooting: Suspect among 3 dead, 2 police officers injured

Three people are dead, including the suspect, and two police officers are injured after a shooting broke out Sunday night in Phoenix, authorities said.

In a news conference Monday morning, police said the suspect, who has not yet been identified, left a hotel and randomly began firing a weapon around 8:45 p.m. Sunday, according to NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix.

Police said the suspect, who was wearing a "carrier-type" tactical vest and Kevlar helmet, also tried to throw a Molotov cocktail at the hotel at some point.

Officers were called to the area and immediately came under fire, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said at the news conference, according to KPNX. The officers responded by shooting back as the suspect retreated. The suspect was later found dead, Williams said.

Two people were killed in the incident, while three apparent bystanders were injured, police said.

Earlier, the department tweeted that the two injured officers were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. As of Monday morning, one of the officers remained in hospital, police said during the news conference. The three injured bystanders were released.

It was not immediately clear what unfolded leading up to the shooting and police have yet to establish any potential motive.

Williams said the shooting was yet another example of the gun violence unfolding across the country.

“This is a community issue, not a police issue,” she said, according to KPNX. “This is another example of gun violence in our community. This is another example of gun violence in our country.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said early Monday that it was assisting in the investigation into the incident.