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Allen mass shooting: 9 dead and 7 injured as gunman is killed by police

Allen, Texas, Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said that at least nine people were sent to hospitals

ALLEN, TEXAS: A lone gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor outlet mall in suburban Texas, killing nine people and injuring at least seven others on Saturday, May 6. Recently released dashcam footage captures the harrowing moment of the shooting. The incident occurred in Allen, a small suburb located north of Dallas. Local police sources reported that there might have been two gunmen, but now believe that the unidentified suspect in the video footage acted alone. The gunman was subsequently shot dead by police.

As of now, the police have not confirmed any deaths, but according to the town's fire chief, at least nine people were taken to the hospital, Daily Mail reports. Aerial footage of the mall revealed four bodies lying outside one of the stores. Police were seen searching stores at 6 pm, which was more than two hours after they first arrived on the scene. Video footage circulating on the internet captured the moment the shooter arrived in a car, got out, and started firing randomly, causing the deaths and injuries. The identity of the gunman is still unknown.

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Mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlet leaves 9 dead

Police have issued only one statement since the reported shooting incident at 3.45 pm. They confirmed that the scene is still active and one suspect, dressed in tactical gear, was found dead on the ground. Meanwhile, aerial footage showed citizens being escorted out of the premises with their hands on their heads, while some graphic footage revealed fatalities with at least four dead bodies found outside an H&M store. The same store was also captured in a video showing the initial gunman firing at innocent victims, with some disturbing scenes suggesting that children may have been among the casualties.

Police neutralize the shooter

Police stated that they had "neutralized the threat" by engaging with the suspect, according to Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey. Although fatalities occurred, Chief Harvey did not disclose the exact number.

Social media accounts shared between 5 pm and 8 pm on the day of the shooting echoed similar details of the chaos that ensued, as police worked to evacuate the shopping center. Video footage and eyewitness testimonies only began to paint a picture of the terror that shoppers experienced as they heard gunshots ring out.

A mother and her young daughter's car was hit by two bullets as they tried to flee the scene, as shown in photos posted shortly after. "Do not go to the Allen outlet!!! Peyton and I were just there and someone started shooting…people were running and we were just trying to leave. The shooting was nonstop. My car got hit by two bullets. We are so grateful to be okay. Please everyone be safe!" Kimberly Blakey wrote in a post on Facebook. The post included photos that showed the damage caused by the two bullets to her car.

Elaine Penicaro, a mother, recounted hearing a constant barrage of gunfire while shopping with her daughter. "We were outside the Converse store and we just heard all this popping," Penicaro told Fox 4 after also fleeing the scene, ducking for cover when they heard the shots reportedly around 3.45 pm. "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."

'You could see bodies of people he had shot'

Geoffrey Keaton was having lunch with his 16-year-old daughter at Fatburger in the outlet mall when they heard gunshots. "I immediately knew," Keaton told the NY Times. "I got my baby girl under the counter to shield her, and then they got louder like he was right there." "You could see bodies of people he had shot on the sidewalk," Keaton said. Brayson Jones, 17, had arrived early for his shift and was sitting in his car when he heard "probably 20-plus shots" and saw people running. He said a stranger ran toward his car and motioned to let him inside, and then the two drove away. "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," he said.

Although the police have not provided further details about the shooting, aerial footage captured by a Fox 4 helicopter shows at least four bloodied bodies covered in white sheets. Meanwhile, video footage shows a massive evacuation process where police reportedly conducted safety checks at every store in the shopping center, leading hundreds of shoppers to be escorted away from the H&M store where the casualties were observed. The H&M store was also featured in a video that captured people running through the parking lot while the sound of gunfire can be heard in the background.

'A normal day in America'

"I’m so tired of this…It’s becoming a normal day in America," one person wrote on Twitter, with another adding, "It’s so damn exhausting. All these people losing their lives.. everyday." One scared user commented, "Oh Lord, I was there with my kids about two hrs ago. This is scary," while a fourth said, "It's almost if all of those lax guns laws Republicans pass don't work. They should treat things like abortion and ban guns but they claim bans don't work. Make it make sense to me?"

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.