2023-05-07 12:41:30
At least nine people have died, including children, in a shooting at a mall in Texas (USA) this Saturday, as reported by the Allen Fire Chief, Jonathan Boyd, at a press conference. Upon arrival, they found seven people already dead and nine had to be taken to the hospital, two of whom died.
According to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, the shooter unleashed chaos around 3:30 p.m. (local time) and the investigation indicates that he acted alone, but will remain active until confirmed.
The shooting occurred in Allen, a small suburb north of Dallas. Footage circulating online shows local police sweeping shops as if looking for a shooter around 6pm local time, more than two hours after police were reportedly called to the points of sale.
Police have said the scene is still active, and shoppers have been seen running away from the sounds of gunfire, US outlet Mail Online has reported.
Other aerial video shows citizens being escorted out of the facility, many with their hands to their heads and visibly distraught.
“I have heard more than 20 shots”
“We were outside the Converse store and we heard all these bangs,” a woman, who was shopping with her daughter, told Fox News television. “We all just stopped, and then a second later, it’s just ‘Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,’ and there were sparks flying like it was right in front of us.”
A 17-year-old boy has spoken to ‘The New York Times’ and has stated that he was in his car, because he had arrived early for his shift in one of the stores when he heard “probably more than 20 shots” and saw a people running out of the place.
These were the moments of terror that they lived in a mall in Texas, when a gunman carried out another #Slaughter more in #USA ????????????
Authorities have announced 9 murders and several injuries.
May God protect us all ????????
— Laura PocaSV (@LauraPocaSV) May 7, 2023
The young man picked up a stranger in his car and the two have left the mall. “As soon as I heard the shots and the screams of the people, I didn’t wait to see what was happening, I backed up and got out of there,” he added.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wanted to show his condolences to all the victims and their families in a statement picked up by Fox News: “Our hearts go out to the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy.”
He added that he has been “in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw, as well as other state and local leaders, and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure that all assistance and resources necessary are implemented quickly, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources.”
#dead #wounded #shooting #Texas #shopping #center