A man in his 20s is dead after a daylight shooting inside North York Sheridan Mall, Toronto paramedics say.

Police say they were called to the Jane Street and Wilson Avenue area just after 5:20 p.m. about reports of gunfire.

That's where paramedics say they found the victim suffering a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead on scene.

It's unknown how many gunshots the victim suffered.

Lisa Salvadore, a hygienist at a dental office on the mall's downstairs level, says they heard three loud gunshots before everyone ran to the office's back room to take shelter.

They stayed there barricaded for about 20 minutes, she said.

"It's scary, knowing that you work here and this is what's going on. I walk in the mall all the time," she said. "I could have been walking at that second right beside the victim. It's just scary."

Nearby, Meena Sherma was shopping at Ardene and was just about to get a coffee.

Meena Sherma was shopping at Ardene and was just about to get a coffee when she heard shots ring out. (Michael Charles Cole/CBC)

When the gunshots rang out, she says, no one knew what was happening.

"I was just holding my heart," said Sherma. "Everybody was running and I followed them."

Ramiro Villafuerte took to social media from the libary inside the mall where he was taking shelter with his two daughters.

Shooting at Sheridan Mall. Barricaded in a room with my daughters and other people. Living my worst nightmare —@Ramiro_CEO

After the chaos, CBC Toronto caught up with Villafuerte, who has been visiting the library there since he was a child.

He said he dove under a table with his girls, aged 9 and 11, after gunfire erupted.

"The girls were shaking, they were crying ... there were other kids under the table. I just didn't know what to do, what to say," said Villafuerte.

'They saw everything'

Villafuerte said he stayed hidden under the table for about five minutes before a librarian ushered them to a back room. That's where they remained for about two hours before police cleared the scene.

"It was seven kids, eight adults, and all of us, even though we didn't know each other, formed a little bond there."

Ramiro Villafuerte took to social media from the libary inside the mall where he was taking shelter with his two daughters. (Michael Charles Cole/CBC)

It wasn't until they finally emerged that his girls fully realized what had happened.

"They saw everything, they cried, they felt it, they saw the [police] tape," Villafuerte said.

Police are now searching for a suspect described as wearing dark clothing with a hoodie, white sneakers and their face covered.

Three other suspects are described as male, black, wearing dark clothing and masks.