Nine people, including the suspect, were killed Saturday at a Dallas-area outlet mall, authorities said, in a shooting that sent shoppers into a panic as they fled for their lives.
Seven people died at Allen Premium Outlets and two more were pronounced dead at a hospital, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said.
Among those who were injured, three remained in critical condition Saturday night and four had been stabilized, he said.
Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey said earlier Saturday that the suspected shooter was “neutralized” by a city police officer who was responding to an unrelated call at the mall.
The name of the suspect was not immediately released, nor were the names of the victims. Janet St. James, a spokesperson for Medical City Healthcare, a North Texas health care provider, said it received eight patients from the shooting who ranged in age from 5 to 61.
The shooting happened during a busy afternoon at the outdoor mall, which is about 30 miles north of Dallas.
Officials said law enforcement responded to reports of an “active shooter” at 3:36 p.m. on Saturday.
Video taken by witness Denison De Souza from the parking lot showed people taking cover and others running into traffic as the sound of nearly a dozen distinct shots could be heard. Other videos posted to social media showed similar scenes.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the shooting, the White House said in a statement late Saturday night. The White House was “closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with law enforcement, and local officials to offer support,” the statement added.
There was very little information made publicly available on the suspect.
Speaking at an early evening news conference, Harvey said, “We believe he acted alone and we don’t believe that there’s another threat at this time.”
Responding law enforcement officers helped shoppers evacuate and cleared each retailer to ensure no dangers remained, according to witness accounts.
Multiple mall shoppers and employees said they heard gunfire and took cover where they could before running out or barricading themselves in back rooms.
Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.
