Nine dead, more injured in latest U.S. mass shooting at Texas outlets mall
Last night in the Dallas-area of Texas, it was reported that an officer with the Allen Police Department who was at the Allen Premium Outlets Mall on an unrelated matter heard the sounds of gunshots ringing out. It was 3:36 p.m. According to the Allen Police Department, “the officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat.”
The officer then called for emergency personnel to respond. Nine victims were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department. A multi-agency response helped secure the mall.
It quickly became apparent that nine people, including the shooter, died as a result of those gunshots. Officials have not yet released the names of the victims or the shooter. “The hospitalized victims’ ages range from 5 to 61 years old,” according to MSN.
Seven people died on scene at Allen Premium Outlets and two more were pronounced dead at a hospital, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said. Three people remained in critical condition on Saturday night and four were stabilized, Boyd said. ~ NBC News
Later in the evening at 10:11 p.m., police released a statement:
Allen Police Department is heartbroken to confirm nine casualties from today’s shooting at Allen Premium Outlets. Seven individuals, including the suspect, were deceased at the scene. Nine were transported to regional hospitals where two later succumbed to their injuries. As of Saturday evening, three victims were in critical condition and four were stable.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has video footage should contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Statement from Mayor Ken Fulk:
Today is a tragic day for the City of Allen, our citizens, our friends and visitors who were at the Allen Premium Outlets. We are a strong and caring community and we want all of the victims and their families impacted by this tragedy to know that we will wrap our arms around you, and we are here for you. The City of Allen pledges to offer our complete support. We know you are grieving, we are grieving. Rest assured, the nation and the world are also grieving.
Allen is a proud and safe city which makes today’s senseless act of violence even more shocking. However, I want to commend our police and fire departments for their quick response. Their thorough training not to hesitate to move toward the threat likely saved more lives today. We also want to thank all of our surrounding municipalities and law enforcement agencies for offering their assistance at the scene. This collective effort is what makes our North Texas communities united.
We know the days ahead will be difficult and somber. While we remember the victims of today’s shooting, we want to convey our appreciation for the condolences and notes we are receiving from all over the world. I have received calls from The White House, Governor Abbot and many other national, state and county officials who have reached out to the City of Allen to express their support and desire to help the Allen Community in any way possible. On behalf of the city council, our law enforcement personnel, first responders and all of our city employees – we will remain strong and stand united.
Following this latest mass shooting in America, The New York Times shared that, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which is a database of shootings in the United States, there have been 199 “mass shootings,” which it defines as the shooting of at least four people, in 2023.
For more on this latest mass shooting, see the video accompanying this article.
(Source: Allen Police Department) / (Cover photo: Image credit, Twitter)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
