One male is dead, another is in hospital and police are searching for multiple suspects after shots were fired outside the busy Yorkdale Shopping Centre Saturday night.

It happened around 8 p.m. outside of Sears in the southwest area of the mall’s parking lot.

Police, paramedics and fire crews arrived on scene to find one male without vital signs. Another was transported to Sunnybrook Hospital in serious, but stable condition.

Updating the media just after midnight Sunday, Det. Rob North of Toronto police said the incident started as a fight between two separate groups inside the mall and then spilled out into the parking lot.

“The initial confrontation began inside the mall. There were no shots fired inside the mall,” North said. “Our information to date is that there were no innocent bystanders that were shot.”

He said police are now looking for a number of suspects who may have been involved in the shooting.

“Early indications are that we’re looking for between five and six suspects,” North said.

He added it was still too early to provide any suspect descriptions. No motive was offered to explain the shooting either. He also said it was too early to say whether the shooting was gang-related.

Police are combing through video footage to try and get more information.

Investigators have already spoken with a number of witnesses and are still trying to track down more, North said.

Hundreds stuck at mall

Hundreds of people were still trapped inside the mall late Saturday as police searched for suspects.

Frustrated shoppers leaving the mall reported a chaotic scene and long wait times to get off the premises as police process all possible witnesses.

Many who were outside of the mall following the shooting were not allowed to leave in their cars, as police checked each vehicle for damage. A number of people, many with small children, told CP24 they were simply abandoning their cars to try and get home some other way. Others said they would stay in hotels overnight.

“What we’re going to ask is that people try and give some understanding here,” North said. “If people can come back tomorrow during the day we might be able to return their vehicles.”

Const. Wendie Drummond told CP24 police face a daunting task in investigating the fatal shooting at the massive mall.

“It is a very large crime scene,” Drummond told CP24. “It’s taken a number of officers to protect that scene. We’re trying to get as many resources as we can to process and get those people who were inside the mall out.”

A message posted on the shopping centre’s Twitter page said that patrons could expect long delays in trying to leave the busy mall and thanked people for their patience.

In a release late Saturday night, Yorkdale again thanked mall patrons for their cooperation and said it takes security on its premises very seriously.

“Like all Torontonians, we were shocked with the incident that occurred outside Yorkdale in the parking lot on Saturday evening,” a statement from the mall said. “The matter is under the control of Toronto Police, and we are cooperating with them fully to support their ongoing investigation.”

Toronto police also took to Twitter to ask people to steer clear of the Yorkdale area as they investigate.

Police are asking anyone with information and anyone who was at Yorkdale prior to the shooting to call 416-808-3200 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416 222-TIPS.

@Josh_F is on Twitter. Remember for instant breaking news follow @cp24 on Twitter.