Multiple people were shot, at least nine fatally, at a mall near Dallas, Texas by a gunman on Saturday, officials said. The unidentified gunman is among the dead and at least nine additional victims were transported to nearby hospitals by the Allen Fire Department, according to officials.
At a press conference held around 10:00 p.m. ET, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said there were seven deceased individuals on the scene. Nine additional victims were later transported to the hospital. Another two victims later died at the hospital; there are three victims in critical surgery at press time. Details about the shooter, including the motive, were not provided.
The incident took place around 3:36 p.m., per officials. An Allen police officer who was on an unrelated call, heard gunshots at Allen Premium Outlets, according to the Allen Police Department Twitter. “The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat,” the department posted. “He then called for emergency personnel.” The department added: “There is no longer an active threat.”
According to reports, the mass shooting included victims as young as 5 years old, as CNN reports. Per CNN, overhead video footage showed hundreds of shoppers exiting the area at the time of the shooting, and at least three bodies covered by sheets outside the mall could be seen in the clip.
Governor Greg Abbott called the shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.” In a statement, he said, “I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources.”
There have been at least 198 mass shootings in the United States in 2023 alone, according to Gun Violence Archive. Saturday’s tragedy occurred just a couple of weeks before the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde, Texas school massacre, when 19 children and two adults were killed by a gunman at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.
This is a developing story…