A gunman opened fire Saturday at a shopping center in the Dallas, Texas area, killing eight people and injuring seven, according to emergency services.
The shooting took place at the Allen Premium Outlets, a large shopping center in the town of Allen, in the northeastern US state of Texas.
Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd confirmed in the evening that nine people, including the shooter, were killed in the shooting. Seven of them were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other victims succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Three other victims are in critical condition and four hospitalized people are out of danger.
Earlier Mr Boyd said his teams had “transported nine victims to trauma centres”.
“There may be other [victimes] which were transported in private vehicles,” he said.
A police officer was in the mall on another case when shots rang out around 3:30 a.m., Mr Harvey said, adding that the officer had “neutralized the suspect”.
State Governor Greg Abbott lamented an “unspeakable tragedy”.
Reports came of a shooting shortly after 3:30 p.m. local time, according to local media.
“Law enforcement is on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets. An investigation is underway. Please avoid the area until further notice,” the Allen Police Department said on Twitter.
There was initially talk of a possible second shooter, according to a witness on CNN, but Brian Harvey said police believe the neutralized suspect, whose identity is not yet known, ‘acted alone’ .
The shooter was wearing tactical gear, according to CNN.
CNN affiliate KTVT’s helicopter captured footage from the air of the mall. Authorities are evacuating the area.
Witnesses heard several gunshots near the H&M clothing store.
A father who arrived at the mall after being tipped off by his daughter at the scene of a shooting, told CNN that police informed him of a second shooter.
“We saw the police (…) and they told us that we had to leave, and that they were looking for the person,” said Jaynal Pervez, according to CNN.
“There is no longer a safe place. I do not know what to do.”
With more guns than people, the United States has the highest gun death rate of any developed country: 49,000 in 2021, down from 45,000 in 2020.
The Gun Violence Archive site has already recorded this year in the United States more than 195 mass killings, that is to say where four or more people were injured or killed.