ALLEN, Texas — Hundreds of terrified consumers fled in panic after a gunman stepped out of a sedan and opened fireplace at a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight individuals and wounding seven earlier than being killed by a police officer who occurred to be close by, authorities stated.

Saturday’s capturing in Allen, Texas, was the newest eruption of gun violence within the U.S., which has seen an unprecedented tempo of mass killings this yr. Barely every week earlier than, 5 individuals have been fatally shot in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor requested a person to cease firing his weapon whereas a child slept, authorities stated.

Police didn't instantly present particulars in regards to the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling out of doors procuring middle, however witnesses reported seeing youngsters amongst them. Some stated additionally they noticed what seemed to be a police officer and a mall safety guard unconscious on the bottom.

A 16-year-old pretzel stand worker, Maxwell Gum, described a digital stampede of consumers. He and others sheltered in a storage room.

“We started running. Kids were getting trampled,” Gum stated. “My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents.”

Dashcam video circulating on-line confirmed the gunman getting out of a automobile and capturing at individuals on the sidewalk. More than three dozen photographs might be heard because the automobile that was recording the video drove off.

Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd stated seven individuals, together with the shooter, died on the scene. Nine victims have been taken to hospitals. Two of them died.

Three of the wounded have been in crucial situation Saturday night, and 4 have been steady, Boyd stated.

An Allen Police Department officer was within the space on an unrelated name when he heard photographs at 3:36 p.m., the division wrote on Facebook.

“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel,” the submit stated.

Mass killings have occurred with staggering frequency within the United States this yr, with a mean of about one per week, in accordance with a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

President Biden was briefed on the capturing in Allen, and the administration provided assist to native officers, the White House stated. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed legal guidelines easing firearms restrictions following previous mass shootings, referred to as the mall assault an “unspeakable tragedy.”

A stay aerial broadcast from a information station confirmed armored vans and different regulation enforcement autos exterior the mall. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing blocked an entrance. Multiple ambulances have been on the scene within the metropolis of 105,000 residents about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas.

Video shared on social media confirmed individuals operating by a car parking zone amid the sound of gunshots.

Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard gunshots by his headphones.

“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton stated.

People within the retailer scattered earlier than staff ushered the group into the becoming rooms after which a lockable again room, he stated. When they got the all-clear to depart, Payton noticed the shop had damaged home windows and a path of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied garments lay close by.

Once exterior, Payton noticed our bodies.

“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he stated. The our bodies have been coated in white towels, slumped over baggage on the bottom. “It broke me when I walked out to see that.”

Further away, he noticed the physique of a heavyset man sporting all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton stated, as a result of not like the opposite our bodies it had not been coated.

Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, stated they noticed what seemed to be three individuals immobile on the bottom, together with one who appeared to be a police officer and one other who resembled a mall safety guard.

Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, stated he hid in a Banana Republic. As he left, he noticed somebody who seemed like a police officer mendacity unconscious subsequent to a different unconscious individual exterior the shop.

“I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli stated.

Stan and Mary Ann Greene have been searching in a Columbia sportswear retailer when the capturing began.

“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene informed The Associated Press.

Employees rolled down the safety gate and introduced everybody to the rear of the shop till police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes stated.

Eber Romero was at an Under Armour retailer when a cashier talked about there was a capturing.

As he left, the mall appeared empty and all of the retailers had their safety gates down, Romero stated. That is when he began seeing damaged glass and victims of the capturing on the ground of the procuring middle.

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Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle and Adam Kealoha Causey in Dallas contributed to this report.

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