At a popular mall north of Texas on Saturday, a shooter opened fire, killing eight people and injuring at least seven others, according to American authorities.
According to the police, the shooter acted alone though his motivation was still unknown.
According to Brian Harvey, the police chief of Allen, Texas, the gunman opened fire outside of the Allen Premium Outlets mall and was shot and killed by a police officer.
Allen Fire Department Chief Jon Boyd stated at the same press conference that at least nine people had been sent to local hospitals by his department due to gunshot wounds.
At a second press conference on Saturday night, Boyd revealed that two of the patients passed away at the hospital. Four of the casualties were stable, while three others were in critical condition.
Eight of the injured people, ranging in age from five to 61, were being treated at trauma centers administered by Medical City Healthcare, which operates 16 hospitals in the region.
Collin County Judge Chris Hill, the top elected official in the county where Allen sits, praised police and other first responders at a press conference, but expressed deep anger with “those that would do evil in our community, in our backyard.”
Separately, police in the nearby city of Frisco, Texas, said they had evacuated the Stonebriar mall late Saturday after receiving reports of shots fired there. It was not yet clear if a shooting had actually taken place.
TV aerial images showed hundreds of people calmly walking out of the mall, located about 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Dallas after the violence unfolded, many with their hands up as scores of police stood guard.
Outside the mall, there were bloody walkways and what appeared to be bodies were covered in white sheets.
Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, described the incident as an “unspeakable tragedy” and stated that his state was ready to provide whatever help local authorities may require.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, mass shootings have become routine in the United States. At least 198 have occurred so far in 2023, which is the most at this stage of the year since at least 2016.
A mass shooting, according to the nonprofit organisation, is one in which four or more persons are hurt or killed, excluding the gunman.
