According to emergency services, a shooter shot and murdered eight persons who were shopping at a mall north of Dallas, Texas.
As eyewitnesses recounted a guy firing randomly at onlookers, hundreds of people were forced to flee the Allen Premium Outlets complex.
After hearing shots, a policeman responding to an unrelated incident shot and killed the gunman.
Children are reportedly among the victims. Three of the eight patients receiving medical care are in critical condition.
Seven individuals, including the shooter, were pronounced dead at the site, and two more passed away later in hospitals, according to Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd.
According to Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey, a police officer at the mall “heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect, and neutralized the suspect.”
According to a hospital source, the victims’ ages range from 5 to 51.
The shooter was characterized by some witnesses as being completely in black and sporting combat attire. After the shooter was killed, video appeared to show an AR-15-style rifle laying next to his body.
Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, called the shooting a “unspeakable tragedy” and said his state was prepared to help the local authorities in any way possible.
As they gather evidence, US authorities have requested members of the public who may have video from the incident to get in touch with the FBI.
One witness stated, “We just got to the back of the store,” adding, “I heard about 10 pops go off, then ten to fifteen more shots – we see this guy dressed all in black, a vest, just shooting at people.”
As gunfire went out, individuals were seen scurrying for shelter across a parking lot as captured on video from the site.
Allen, which is 20 miles (32 km) north of the center of Dallas, has roughly 105,000 population.
In Texas, most persons who are 21 or older are permitted to carry a firearm without a license, unless they have a criminal record. Additionally, there aren’t many limitations on who can own rifles and shotguns. The state legislature of Texas is run by Republicans.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 198 mass shootings in the US so far this year in which four or more people have been killed or injured. Since at least 2016, that is the highest number at this stage of the year.
Fontayne Payton, an eyewitness at the mall, told the AP news agency that he heard gunshots while shopping at H&M via his headphones.
He spoke of witnessing bodies outside the mall after people were permitted to leave.
He said, “I hope it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids.” “When I walked out and saw that, it broke me.”
“A tragic day” for the city, according to Allen Mayor Ken Fulk. He said on the city’s website, “Allen is a proud and safe city, which makes today’s senseless act of violence even more shocking.”
“However, I want to thank our fire and police departments for responding so quickly. They probably saved more lives today because of their comprehensive training to approach the situation without hesitation.
Senator John Cornyn of Texas posted on Twitter that he was “grieving with the Allen community” and commended “all of those involved in responding to this afternoon’s horrific incident” for their prompt action.
Texas police detained a guy earlier this week on suspicion of killing five neighbors, including a nine-year-old boy.
After a four-day manhunt, Francisco Oropesa was discovered hiding in a cabinet.
