Police in Hamilton are searching for two suspects after a fatal shooting at a downtown mall late Friday afternoon.

Investigators say they were called to Jackson Square on King Street West just after 5 p.m. for reports of a shooting.

When they arrived, they found a 16-year-old boy suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition and later pronounced dead.

Investigators say an altercation occurred between individuals inside a wireless mobile store in the mall before multiple shots were fired.

Police say two suspects were seen leaving the area eastbound toward James Street. They are described as white, approximately 19 to 20 years old. One was last seen wearing a grey track suit, while the other had on a blue track suit.

Both were believed to be carrying firearms, according to police.

“This is a brazen shooting that occurred inside a mall. We’re obviously very concerned about this,” Supt. Martin Schulenberg said in an update Friday night. “Although this was a targeted shooting, that doesn’t mean this is no longer a risk to the public, and we continue to search for any information that might bring us closer to these two individuals.”

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said she was devastated to learn of the death of the teen in a shooting she called “senseless.”

“A young life taken far too soon,” she said in a social media post. “Guns have no place on our streets. Period. This was a horrifying act of violence, and it must end. We need urgent, stronger action to get illegal firearms out of our communities.”