Texas Mall Shooting Sees at Least Nine Killed, Including Gunman

A mass capturing at a Texas outlet mall has left a minimum of 9 lifeless, together with the shooter, and a minimum of seven injured, regulation enforcement officers mentioned Saturday.

The gunman opened hearth on the Allen Premium Shops in Texas on Saturday afternoon, Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey mentioned at a media briefing. An officer with the division was on the outlet mall on an unrelated name when he heard gunshots at 3:36 p.m. native time, shortly earlier than he “engaged the suspect and neutralized the menace.”

The incident despatched consumers and staff scrambling for security on the outside mall, about 40 miles from Dallas.

The injured embody three individuals in vital situation and 4 in secure situation, Allen Hearth Chief Jonathan Boyd mentioned Saturday night.

Newsweek reached out by way of electronic mail, telephone and social media to the Allen Police Division and Collin County Sheriff’s Workplace.

The victims, who haven’t but been recognized publicly, vary in age from 5 years outdated to 61 years outdated.

Allen Mayor Ken Fulk mentioned in an announcement that the group should “stay sturdy and stand united.”

“Allen is a proud and protected metropolis which makes in the present day’s mindless act of violence much more surprising,” Fulk mentioned. “Nevertheless, I wish to commend our police and hearth departments for his or her fast response. Their thorough coaching to not hesitate to maneuver towards the menace probably saved extra lives in the present day.”

A vigil for the victims will probably be held at 5 p.m. Sunday on the Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church, in accordance with state Consultant Jeff Leach, who mentioned he lives close to the outlet mall.

“Tomorrow will probably be an excellent night time of therapeutic, a much-needed night time of therapeutic and hope,” Leach mentioned Saturday night.

Governor Greg Abbott issued an announcement Saturday on the “unspeakable tragedy.”

“Our hearts are with the individuals of Allen, Texas tonight throughout this unspeakable tragedy,” Abbott mentioned within the on-line assertion. “I’ve been involved with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw in addition to different state and native leaders and supplied the complete help of the State of Texas to native officers to make sure all wanted help and sources are swiftly deployed, together with DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative sources.”

The information of the capturing garnered consideration throughout social media from gun management activists, together with Shannon Watts.

“Our bodies beneath sheets exterior a mall in Allen, Texas. We’re not numb, we’re traumatized. We’re not numb, we’re traumatized. We’re not numb, we’re traumatized. We’re not numb, we’re traumatized. We’re not numb, we’re traumatized. We’re not numb, we’re traumatized,” Watts, founding father of Mothers Demand Motion, mentioned on Twitter.

Police mentioned they consider the shooter acted alone within the nation’s 199th mass capturing this 12 months. It was the nation’s second mass capturing in Texas in simply over every week, in accordance with knowledge assortment and analysis group Gun Violence Archive.