Three people were shot and killed Saturday in a targeted, daytime attack in Atlanta, police said.

Officers responded to a call reporting that someone had been shot in the city's West End neighborhood around 1:30 p.m., police said in a news release.

A preliminary investigation indicates a man approached two people and opened fire, and one of those people returned fire. All three were shot and died from their injuries, police said.

The shooting took place near a mall.

Investigators were working to determine a motive, police said. They did not release additional information.