'Unspeakable tragedy': Several shoppers killed, injured as gunman opens fire in Texas Mall

In yet another mass shooting in the US, a gunman opened fire at an outlet mall in the Dallas suburb of Allen on Saturday, killing several people and as many as nine people have sustained injuries.

According to a report by CNN, some of the victims of the shooting were as young as five years old.

An off-duty police officer was in the mall on an unrelated call when gunfire broke out around 3:30 pm (2030 GMT), said chief Brian Harvey of the Allen, Texas, police department.

“He heard gunshots, went to the gunshots, engaged the suspect and neutralized the suspect,” Harvey said. “He also then called for ambulances.”

“We do not have an accurate count,” said the police officer said while confirming the news of multiple fatalities. He, however, refused to give an exact death toll.

Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said his department “transported nine victims to area trauma facilities.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the mass shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.”

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has been “briefed about the shooting,” a White House official said.

Authorities initially thought there might be a second shooter at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling shopping complex in the city of Allen, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Dallas.

In an effort to find the perpetrator, officials combed through stores in the mall, and pulled out photos and drone video from the scene that showed frantic shoppers and store employees rushing into parking lots.

Harvey later said police believe the unidentified shooter, who CNN said was wearing tactical gear, “acted alone.”

Janet St. James, a spokesperson for Medical City Healthcare, which operates multiple trauma facilities in North Texas, said it received eight patients from the shooting, ranging in age from five to 61, NBC News reported.

A father, who received a phone call from his daughter who was at the crime scene, said that police had informed him there may have been a second shooter.

“We saw the police outside the door, and they told us we had to go, and that they are still looking for the person,” CNN quoted Jaynal Pervez.

“There are no more safe places. I don’t know what to do,” he added.

With inputs from agencies

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