Eight people were killed and seven others were wounded in a Texas Mall Shooting on Saturday. The incident occurred at the Allen Premium Outlets, about 30 minutes north of Dallas, when a lone gunman dressed in black tactical gear got out of his car and began firing in the parking lot.
Six victims died at the scene, while nine others were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Two of the transported victims later died from their wounds. Witnesses said children were among the casualties. “I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” said Fontayne Payton, a worker at an H&M store outside of which several victims could be seen lying under sheets.
The shooter was shot dead by a police officer who was at the mall responding to an unrelated call. “The officer heard the shots, ran towards the sound, and engaged and neutralized the threat,” said Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey. The mass shooting was caught on dash cam video. The shooter was seen stopping his car, opening the driver’s side door, and firing multiple rounds at passersby. The shots went on for nearly 30 seconds before the clip ended.
“We believe he acted alone and we don’t believe there’s another threat at this time,” Harvey said. The shooter has not been named by officials. Police searched a home in Northeast Dallas where he reportedly lived with his parents. The man, who is in his 30s, occasionally wore a security guard-type uniform and drove a gray Dodge Charger.
The incident caused chaos in the mall, with shoppers fleeing and some barricading themselves in the back of stores and hallways. “People are freaking out, we’re hearing screaming,” said Maxwell Gum, a 16-year-old shift leader at Wetzel’s Pretzels. Hundreds of people could be seen on news footage evacuating from the mall, escorted by law enforcement officers with their guns drawn.
As of early Sunday, the FBI was involved in the search and talking to the family through a translator. Aerial footage broadcast on local news stations showed approximately four bodies hidden underneath white sheets in an outdoor area of the mall with visible blood stains. The parking lot remained packed with vehicles as police continued to investigate and search each one.
