On May 7, 2023, a gunman killed eight people and injured at least seven others at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor shopping center in Texas. The shooting was the latest in a disturbing trend of mass killings in the United States, with an average of about one a week occurring this year alone. Authorities have not publicly identified the gunman, but eyewitnesses reported seeing children among the victims, as well as a police officer and mall security guard who appeared unconscious on the ground.
Dashcam video that circulated online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle recording the video drove off. Following an initial search for a second shooter, authorities have concluded that the gunman acted alone.
When the shooting began, hundreds of shoppers fled in panic. A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of people running for their lives. Gum and others eventually sheltered in a storage room, where they remained until police arrived.
Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd reported that seven people, including the shooter, died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them later died. Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable.
An Allen police officer who happened to be in the area on an unrelated call heard the shots at 3:36 p.m. and engaged the suspect, ultimately neutralizing the threat. The officer then called for emergency personnel, according to the police department’s Facebook page. The White House has said that President Biden was briefed on the shooting and has offered support to local officials, while Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the incident an “unspeakable tragedy.”
Eyewitnesses like Fontayne Payton, 35, have described the chaos and devastation they witnessed at the shopping center. Payton was in an H&M store when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones. He saw bodies outside the store, some of which appeared to be covered in white towels. Payton also saw a heavyset man wearing all black, whom he assumed to be the shooter because he was not covered like the other bodies.
Other shoppers, such as Tarakram Nunna and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, reported seeing what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard motionless on the ground. Sharkie Mouli, who was hiding in a Banana Republic store during the shooting, said he saw an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside an outlet store. Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in the Columbia sportswear store when the shooting began, but employees quickly rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out.
The shooting prompted a massive police response, with more than 30 police cruisers and multiple ambulances on the scene. The Dallas office of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded. The aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. Allen, which has roughly 105,000 residents and is located about 40 kilometres north of downtown Dallas, will likely be grappling with the aftermath of this tragedy for some time to come.
SOURCE: Ref – AP
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