Around 1:30 a.m. local time Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET), police said in a statement that a “terrorist armed with weapons opened fire on a bus and vehicles in a parking lot near Jerusalem’s Old City.” .
Two Americans are being treated at Hadassah Medical Center and three at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, according to the hospitals. At least two of the injured Americans were tourists, the hospitals said. Israeli media previously reported that four American victims were tourists and members of the same family.
Two of the victims are in serious condition, while the other six victims have minor to moderate injuries, according to emergency services. One of the injured was pregnant, and underwent an emergency caesarean section. Both mother and baby are in serious condition, according to Shaare Zedek Hospital.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem said they are “shocked and saddened” by the attack. They confirmed that US citizens were among the victims and that they were gathering more information.
“We strongly condemn all acts of terrorism and actions that exacerbate tensions,” an embassy spokesman said in a statement to CNN.
“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims and we wish them all a speedy and full recovery,” the statement said.
The shooter fled the scene, with security forces, the Shin Bet and the IDF in pursuit. Police said a helicopter from the Israel Police Air Unit assisted in the search.
The suspect later turned himself into police. The gun he was carrying was seized, according to a police spokesman.
The suspect is an Israeli citizen from East Jerusalem, a security source told CNN.
He was not known for any terror-related crimes but had a criminal record and had spent time in prison, the security source told CNN.
The source said the suspect, whose identity has not been released, was born in 1996.
Israeli media have described him as a Palestinian who holds Israeli citizenship.
Police and forensic investigators have launched operations at the scene to investigate the attack, police said.
Sunday’s shooting comes after hostilities in Gaza last weekend left dozens of Palestinians dead. A ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza was announced last Sunday.
This story has been updated.