A video posted online by a witness showed the gunman parking his car in front of the mall and then opening fire on people who were walking nearby.
An officer who had been inside the building on another matter quickly responded to the gunfire, shooting and subduing the shooter. As scenes of panic spread throughout that sprawling facility in Allen, police said
The identity of the shooter was not released. He, along with six other people killed at the mall when more police arrived on the scene, is one of seven deaths there.
Two others died in the hospital while “three are in critical surgery, and four are stable,” said Allen fire chief Jonathan Boyd.
The shooting, which took place on a busy Saturday afternoon at Allen Premium Outlets 35 miles north of Dallas, began around 3:30 pm (2030 GMT) when the mall was packed with shoppers.
The Allen police chief, Brian Harvey said the officer who engaged and neutralized the suspect had heard gunshots, followed the gunshots and nuetralize the shooter.
Some of the victims were as young as five years old, a hospital official told a reporter.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the mass shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.”
President Joe Biden “has been briefed on the shooting,” a White House official told reporters.
Local officials hailed the actions of the police officer who charged and killed the shooter.
“We owe a debt of gratitude to first responders that ran toward the gunfire and acted swiftly to neutralize the threat,” said Keith Self, a Republican congressman whose district includes the city of Allen.
The Police believed that a second shooter might still be on the loose as they rushed into parking lots to search for suspects. Panicked shoppers and store employees fled stores going through inventory once it was determined no one else was in danger
Harvey later said police believe the unidentified shooter, who it's believed 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, as was reported.
