UPDATESeveral people have been killed in a shooting at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas. The local authorities could not say how many victims were involved on Saturday afternoon (local time). Several people have also been injured.
The suspected perpetrator has died, reports the police of Allen, a town with a population of about 100,000 about forty kilometers northeast of Dallas. According to police, an officer who had come to the Allen Premium Outlets shopping center because of another report heard shots fired at 3:36 p.m. The officer then went looking for the shooter and killed him.
According to local TV station WFAA-TV, police have reported several victims, including children. An eyewitness told the Associated Press that he saw several bodies lying on the floor, in pools of blood and covered with white sheets. “It looked like they were kids,” said Fontayne Payton, who was in the mall at the time of the shooting.
Fire Chief Jonathan Boys said nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but many injured were also evacuated in private vehicles. He could not yet give numbers of other victims or possible deaths. It would concern victims between the ages of 5 and 61.
News channel CNN previously reported, based on an anonymous source, that the police had launched a large-scale search for a possible second gunman, but the police said that the authorities believe that the perpetrator acted alone. Police will hold a press conference later Saturday night.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.