(CNN) At least three people were killed in a shooting Thursday at the Fifth Third Center in Cincinnati's Fountain Square, Cincinnati police Chief Eliot Isaac said.
The suspect is also dead, Isaac said. Two others were injured, he said.
Police finished securing the building just before 11 a.m. ET, the chief said.
The shooting began shortly after 9 a.m. The gunman entered a loading dock and opened fire before going into the lobby of the building, where three or four police officers engaged him, and gunfire was exchanged, Isaac said.
Authorities respond to the scene of Thursday's shooting at Cincinnati's Fountain Square.
"This is not normal, and it shouldn't be viewed as normal. This is abnormal. No other industrialized country has this level of active multiple shootings on a regular basis," Mayor John Cranley said in a news conference. "I think there's something deeply sick at work here."
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CINCINNATI -- A gunman opened fire Thursday morning in a building in the heart of Cincinnati in an attack that left him and three other people dead, police said. The shooting sent people scrambling across the city's Fountain Square amid cries of "shooter!"
It happened at a 30-story building, home to the corporate headquarters for regional banker Fifth Third Bancorp and other businesses, including popular ice cream, pastry and sandwich shops. The bank building was locked down for most of the morning, and surrounding streets and sidewalks were closed off.
Police Chief Eliot Isaac said the shooter opened fire at about 9:10 a.m. ET at the loading dock of the Fifth Third Bank building. Isaac said the gunman then entered the bank's lobby where he exchanged gunfire with police.
"Our officers responded very quickly," Isaac said. "They engaged the threat, and they neutralized that threat; however, there was some tragedies that did occur ... You know, these are things that we see happening across the country, and we all have to be vigilant and prepared to deal with these situations."
AP Photo/John Minchillo
It's unclear if the gunman shot himself or was shot by officers. Michael Richardson, who works in the bank building, told The Cincinnati Enquirer that he was standing outside the entrance when he heard gunshots in the lobby.
"I looked behind me and saw the guy - he shot and then he shot again. After that I started running."
The gunman wasn't identified immediately. Police didn't comment on a possible motive.
"So, a very horrific situation," Isaac said. "We're in the very early stages (of investigation)."
Federal agents were on the scene as police searched through the building. One of the victims died at the scene.
Two more died at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. UC Health spokeswoman Kelly Martin said one victim remained there in critical condition and another was listed as serious.
All four transported to the hospital had gunshot wounds, Martin said. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman was "actively shooting innocent victims."
The Fountain Square often hosts concerts, dancing, food trucks and other events around lunchtime or in the evenings and is neighbored by a hotel, restaurants and retail shops. "It could have been any one of us," Cranley said.
He praised "the heroism" of police who ended the threat within seconds and the response of other emergency personnel. "It could have been much, much worse," Cranley said.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with people running away in fear and confusion while hearing gunshots. Leonard Cain told The Cincinnati Enquirer he was going inside the bank when someone alerted him there was shooting.
He said a woman, who was wearing headphones, didn't hear the warnings and walked into the bank and was shot.
Fifth Third operates some 1,200 banking centers in 10 states. The company said in a statement posted to Twitter that it would "continue to work with law enforcement as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers."
Three people were killed and two others wounded in a shooting at a bank headquarters in downtown Cincinnati Thursday morning, police said.
Officers responded to a 911 call around 9:10 a.m. local time about an "active shooter" at Fifth Third Bank near Fountain Square, according to Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac.
The suspect had opened fire in the building's loading dock before continuing into the lobby area and firing more shots, Isaac told reporters at a press conference Thursday morning.
Jeremy Monahan/AFP/Getty Images
Five people were shot, including three who died from their injuries, Isaac said.
The area was cordoned off as police responded to the incident and worked to evacuate people inside the bank.
Multiple officers "engaged" the suspect, who is now dead, Isaac said. The alleged shooter has not been identified.
No officers were injured in the incident, and a weapon was recovered from the scene.
Kareem Elgazzar/Cincinnati Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK
UC Health in Cincinnati confirmed via that it received four of the victims -- three males and one female. Two have since died, while one remains in critical condition and the other is in serious condition, the hospital said.
"Our physicians and staff are focused on caring for the patients and their families. We prepare for situations like these and hope they never happen," UC Health tweeted.
The victims have not yet been identified.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley told reporters that the suspect was "actively shooting innocent victims."
Meg Vogel/The Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK
The motive for the shooting was not immediately known.
Fifth Third Bank, which is headquartered in Cincinnati but has locations across 10 states, described the deadly shooting as a "terrible event" in a statement posted on Twitter.
"Earlier today, an active shooter entered our headquarters building in downtown Cincinnati. The situation is contained and the shooter is no longer a threat. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone caught up in this terrible event. We continue to work with law enforcement as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers. We are grateful for the support and concerns from our neighbors throughout Cincinnati and the country," the company tweeted.
ABC News' Rachel Katz contributed to this report.
A gunman entered a downtown Cincinnati skyscraper through a loading dock Thursday morning and then opened fire in the lobby, killing three people and injuring five others before police officers shot and killed him.
Police said the shooting took place at the beginning of the work day inside the Fifth Third Bank building, a 30-story tower that sits above bustling Fountain Square a few blocks from Great American Ball Park and the riverfront along the Ohio River. Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac called the rampage “very horrific,” though police said the circumstances surrounding the violence and a potential motive are thus far elusive.
“These are things we see happening across the country, and we all have to be vigilant and prepared to deal with these situations,” Isaac said.
The area around the skyscraper was shut down until about 9:15 a.m., and police found victims in and around 511 Walnut Street, including one who was severely wounded and ended up at an ice cream shop steps from the building.
Witnesses said they heard volleys of gunfire and one said that a woman was shot as she entered the bank building’s lobby. There were people screaming “shooter, run, leave,” in Fountain Square, a park that often hosts concerts, dancing, and food trucks.
One witness, Leonard Cain, told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he was going inside the bank when someone yelled that he shouldn’t because of the shooting. He said a woman also was walking into the bank at the same time, but she had headphones on and apparently couldn’t hear their warnings.
“She walked in the door and he shot her,” Cain told The Enquirer, saying that he heard up to 15 shots fired.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said the gunman appeared to be actively shooting at random when officers confronted him, and he said the officers “were able to kill him and stop the threat.” Police have not yet publicly identified the shooter.
Cranley said the shooting “could have been much, much worse” if not for an immediate police response.
Bank manager Greg Harshfield, who on the 29th floor of the building when the shooting began, said that he heard multiple shots and saw police arrive almost immediately.
“We could see there was a large police presence that seemed to come quickly and could see them blocking Fountain Square,” Harshfield told reporters. “We knew immediately something was wrong. We’re of course rattled.”
Television footage showed bodies being carried out on stretchers and police surrounding the area around the Fifth Third Center skyscraper, which is the bank’s corporate headquarters. Three men and one woman were transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, hospital officials said. One has died, two are in critical condition and one is in serious condition. Each had gunshot wounds, officials said.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officials arrived on the scene to sweep the building, ATF spokeswoman Suzanne Dabkowski said.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Cranley said. “This is not normal, and it shouldn’t be viewed as normal. This is abnormal. No other industrialized country has this level of active multiple shooting on a regular basis … I think there’s something deeply sick at work here, and we as a country have got to deal with it.”
