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‘Carnage beyond comprehension’: Man who rushed to help recalls horrific scenes after Texas mall shooting

At least nine people were killed and many others were left severely wounded after an unidentified gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets

ALLEN, TEXAS: A man who witnessed the horrific Texas mall shooting on Saturday, May 6, described seeing a frightening sight of "carnage" while rushing to rescue his son from a clothing store where the now-deceased gunman's rampage began. At least nine people were killed and many others were left severely wounded after an unidentified gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Outlets, an outdoor outlet mall in suburban Texas.

Around 3.30 pm, Steven Spainhouer received a panicked phone call from his son informing him that rounds had been fired outside the H&M store, where he had been working. Spainhouer arrived at the location before any emergency responders and was hit with the enormous responsibility of trying to save lives. "I never imagined in 100 years I would be thrust into the position of being the first responder on the site to take care of people," he told CBS News. He also described how a few witnesses had been filming the bodies outside his son's H&M, where some of his relatives were still trapped, according to Daily Mail.

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'She had no face'

Before Spainhouer arrived, the still-unidentified shooter was killed by an Allen cop who was on the scene for an unrelated call and responded after hearing the gunshots outside the H&M. While that was happening, Spainhouer, a CPR practitioner, tried to revive many of the gunman's initial victims, including three he said were already beyond rescuing. "The first girl I walked up to was crouched down covering her head in the bushes, so I felt for a pulse, pulled her head to the side and she had no face," he recalled.

The frantic father revealed he then discovered another toddler who had escaped the bullets as she was shielded by his protective mother, who he said was one of the eight people killed by the shooter. "When I rolled the mother over, he came out," Spainhouer said, adding, "I asked him if he was OK and he said, "My mom is hurt, my mom is hurt."" He also detailed his efforts to lessen the boy's mental suffering by removing him from the gruesome scene. "Rather than traumatize him anymore, I pulled him around the corner, sat him down and he was covered from head to toe, like somebody poured blood on him," Spainhouer remembered.

'Carnage beyond comprehension'

After attempting to rescue several other victims, Spainhouer waited for aid to arrive and assist him with his efforts while crucial seconds passed. "I was on the phone with 911 and I was telling them we have a mass casualty incident," the father said, appearing visibly emotional during the TV interview. Spainhouer went on to say that as he and others waited for medical assistance, local police had to take many of the patients to neighboring doctors. "No one can see what we saw today and not be affected by it," he said, noting that the massacre will haunt him.

"I wouldn't wish this situation on anyone; to see such carnage is just beyond comprehension,” he added. The father said two shoppers from his son’s H&M store were among the at least seven injured. "It's tough when you see a family that's out shopping, having fun, get wiped off the face of the Earth because somebody with a gun has some other type of issue," he remarked. 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.