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'How many more have to die?' Internet slams Texas gun laws after mall shooting leaves 9 victims as witnesses recall horror

A lone shooter opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets mall, killing nine people and injuring at least seven others on Saturday, May 6

ALLEN, TEXAS: In the wake of the terrifying shooting that took place at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor outlet mall in suburban Texas, many are harshly criticizing Texas gun regulations on social media. A lone shooter opened fire at the mall, killing nine people and injuring at least seven others on Saturday, May 6. People all over the country are still reeling from the shopping mall horror, with some asking on Twitter, "How many more have to die?"

Witnesses described the shooter as a 'large guy' wearing all black SWAT-style gear and holding a weapon before opening fire and people began running and screaming in all directions. Local police sources initially claimed that there may have been two attackers – one killed by first responders and another remaining on the loose – but authorities now believe the mystery gunman in the video acted alone.

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Police have yet to issue a statement confirming any casualties, however, the town's fire chief said in a statement that nine individuals were hospitalized, and aerial footage of the event showed at least four bleeding bodies laying outside the mall's various stores, as per Daily Mail.

What did the witnesses say?

A woman called Colleen, who did not want to give her last name, told CBS Texas that she was at the mall with her son at the time of the shooting. The shooter was reported as donning an all-black outfit that looked "like a SWAT uniform without the letters SWAT on it." She claimed that the gunman was a "big guy" and was carrying a rifle when he opened fire, causing others to flee shrieking in all directions. Colleen and her 22-year-old son claimed to have seen the killer dead on the ground when they were evacuated by the police and other bodies were also on the floor.

'He's just shooting at people'

Her son originally mistook the bullets for construction noises before he noticed the murderer in front of the business. He said, "Out of nowhere I heard about like 10 pops go off and I look at the customer next to me and I was like "was that gunshots?" He added, "And he said it was probably just construction and more shots go off, heard like 10-15 more shots go off and so I ran to the front of the store and we're like no that's shooting. We saw the guy dressed in all black wearing a vest, has an assault rifle and he's just shooting at people."

According to a witness who spoke to CNN, the shooter was seen getting out of his car before "shooting his gun everywhere for the most part' on the sidewalk. He said, "The door opened and I was letting the customers come inside the store. He was pretty much walking down the sidewalk and blazing for the most part and shooting his gun outside the store. He was walking down the sidewalk towards Fat Burger and he was just shooting his gun everywhere for the most part."

'He was shot right in his forehead'

Another witness named Jamil stated, "We were inside the store and all of a sudden we heard gunshots and everybody was panicking but the store we were in, they were very helpful. They took everybody in the back and then police came, a SWAT team came, they brought us outside and they escorted us out." He added, "When we were walking outside across from Michael Kors we saw the dead body, the guy had all the gear, he looks like a police officer but when you look at this shoes he was wearing converse. So that makes you think he was just trying to trick people and he was shot right in his forehead."

'This is America'

One parent hurried to the scene after receiving a text message from his daughter inside the mall that read, "Daddy I love you, there's a shooting." He said, "My daughter just texted her mom and me and said 'daddy I love you, there's a shooting and I am surrounded by the police just pray for me. We rushed here and we saw the police outside her door and they told us to let go and that they were still looking for the person. This is America, people are dying in the hospitals, waiting rooms and on college campuses. There's no more safe places."

'We just heard all this popping'

According to video footage that has been making the rounds online, the gunman, who is still unknown, can be seen arriving in a car at the scene — where many of the victims were subsequently discovered — and firing indiscriminately. Another local mother, Elaine Penicaro, recounted hearing a constant hail of gunshots while out and about with her daughter. "We were outside the Converse store and we just heard all this popping," Penicaro said after fleeing the scene, hiding for cover when they heard the shots at about 3:45 p.m. "We kind of all just stopped, and then a second later, just "Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop," and there were sparks flying like it was right in front of us," as per Fox4.

'Saved a random stranger'

A 17-year-old Champs Sports employee named Brayson Jones told the New York Times that he heard “probably 20-plus shots” and observed people fleeing the stores during his shift. "As soon as I heard the shots and people yelling, I didn’t wait to see what was going on, I backed out and got out of there," the teen recounted of the horror scene. He continued by saying that during the chaos, he saved a random stranger who, according to him, had been running toward his car when the gunfire started to ring out and waved for him to enter.

What are the gun laws of Texas?

Mass shootings have consistently grabbed headlines in only the year's first few months. As per the Gun Violence Archive, as of May 1, there have been at least 13,959 gun-related fatalities in the United States this year, or about 115 fatalities on average every day. The great majority of gun violence fatalities this year have been caused by suicide. In 2023, there were 66 suicide fatalities each day on average. The majority of these deaths have occurred in Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois, and Louisiana, as per ABC News.

Texas gun laws govern the sale, possession, and usage of weapons and ammunition in the United States state of Texas. The state is widely regarded as having some of the most lax gun restrictions in the country. Since September 1, 2021, a permit is no longer required for a person 21 and over, both citizens and non-residents, to carry a pistol openly or hidden in most places in Texas, provided they have no past felony convictions, as per Wikipedia.

A license to carry a handgun was previously issued to an eligible person on a shall-issue basis by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas' state preemption of local gun laws prevents local governments from further limiting or regulating the ownership or use of weapons. The possession of NFA firearms that are permitted under federal law is not restricted in Texas. Background checks are not necessary in the state for private gun sales.

'How many more have to die?'

People on the internet criticized have Texas' gun rules as the atrocity at the mall shocked the world. A Twitter user was outraged and asked, "Hey, Texas! It's you and your lack of gun laws! How many more have to die???!!! F**k the GQP!!! People are dead because of you! Someone wrote, "I hate to say this, but until it hits home and one of their own is involved in a shooting, then MAYBE... I'm definitely not wishing this on anyone. It's just reality."

The third one claimed, "Texas proves that more guns just means more bloodshed. PERIOD!" A fourth user remarked, "They’re Blind to gun violence!" while another user mentioned, "If you can't handle a ban on guns, at least try to make more responsible decisions regarding ownership. Republicans, talking to you...." One user urged, "Victims families should sue state and federal politicians for negligence!!!!" "There is a reason I didn't go to a festival today in Texas. You have to think twice now before going somewhere in Texas," a person wrote. Some criticized the Republican government and said, "Republican logic: more guns= less shootings." Another user said, "Strict gun laws = thoughts and prayers."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.