At Least 9 Injured After Texas Mall Shooting, Shooter Dies: Police

At least nine people were injured in a gunman shooting Saturday at a busy mall north of Dallas, but police said they could not yet confirm the death toll in the incident.

The shooter, who authorities believe acted alone, was killed by a police officer after he began shooting outside the Allen Premium Outlets shopping center in Allen, Texas, the city’s police chief said at a news conference. , Brian Harvey.

Allen Fire Chief Jon Boyd said at the same news conference that his department transported at least nine victims with gunshot wounds to area hospitals. He did not specify in what state they were and added that there could be more injuries.

Television footage showed hundreds of people calmly leaving the mall, located about 25 miles northeast of Dallas, many with their hands raised as dozens of police officers stood guard.

An unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the gunman was “walking on the sidewalk… shooting.”

Blood could be seen on the sidewalks outside the mall and white sheets covering what appeared to be dead bodies.

Allen is a Texas community of about 100,000 people.

Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 198 so far in 2023, the highest number by this time of the year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any in which four or more people are injured or killed, not including the shooter.