HOUSTON (AP) - Hundreds of panicked people rushed out of a Houston mall after a masked man jumped on a food court table and said he would kill himself before throwing down an unknown object covered in toilet paper.

Houston police were searching for the masked man, who they say left Memorial City Mall amid the chaos Sunday afternoon. Police said he could face a terroristic threats charge.

Police Assistant Chief Sheryl Victorian says, "We don't take this type of thing lightly."

The incident comes after a shooter killed 22 people at a Walmart in El Paso on Aug. 3, which was followed hours later by a shooter opening fire in an Ohio entertainment district, killing nine.

Police said two people at the Houston mall suffered minor injuries in the crowd.