A lone gunman wreaked havoc at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, near Dallas, killing at least nine people before being fatally shot by police who swiftly responded to the situation to prevent further casualties, CNN reported Sunday.
Authorities in Allen addressed the afternoon shooting at Allen Premium Outlets, as shoppers and workers fled for cover amid reports of an active shooter on a rampage in the shopping center.
According to officials on Saturday night, the Allen outlet mall shooting left several others injured, with victims rushed to trauma facilities. The police confirmed that the gunman, believed to have acted alone, was killed in a shootout.
Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd stated that at least nine individuals were transported to hospitals. “Of those that we transported, two have since died. Three are in critical surgery, and four are stable,” said Boyd.
A Dallas-area medical group reported treating victims as young as five years old.
On Saturday, a gunman killed eight people and injured at least seven others at a busy mall north of Dallas, according to police.
Authorities believe the shooter, whose motive remains unknown, acted alone. A police officer killed him after he began firing outside the Allen Premium Outlets mall in Allen, Texas, said Police Chief Brian Harvey at a press conference.
Fire Department Chief Jon Boyd informed the same press conference that at least nine victims with gunshot wounds were taken to area hospitals by his department.
Boyd confirmed in a second press conference on Saturday night that two people had died at the hospital. Three victims were in critical condition, and four others were stable.
Medical City Healthcare, which operates 16 hospitals in the region, stated that its trauma centers were treating eight wounded victims, ranging in age from 5 to 61.
Collin County Judge Chris Hill, the top elected official in the county encompassing Allen, commended the police and other first responders at a press conference but expressed deep frustration with “those that would do evil in our community, in our backyard.”
In a separate incident, police in the nearby city of Frisco, Texas, reported evacuating the Stonebriar Mall late Saturday following reports of shots fired there. However, it remains unclear whether a shooting occurred.
Aerial TV images showed hundreds of people calmly exiting the mall, located approximately 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dallas after the violent incident unfolded. Many raised their hands as numerous police officers stood guard.
One unidentified eyewitness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the gunman was “walking down the sidewalk just…shooting his gun outside,” adding that “he was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part.”
Blood was visible on sidewalks outside the mall, with white sheets covering what appeared to be bodies.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, labeling the shooting an “unspeakable tragedy,” stated in a release that the state was prepared to offer any assistance local authorities might require.
Allen, Texas, has a population of around 100,000 people.
Mass shootings have become increasingly common in the United States, with at least 198 in 2023, the highest number at this point in the year since at least 2016, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The nonprofit group defines a mass shooting as any event where four or more people are injured or killed, not including the shooter.
