At least nine people were shot at the Texas Mall, but no fatalities have been reported.shooter killed by police

At least nine people were shot and wounded by gunmen on Saturday at a busy mall north of Dallas, but police said they have not yet confirmed how many people died in the incident.

He was killed by police officers after he opened fire outside the Allen Premium Outlet Mall in Allen, Texas, city police chief Brian Harvey said at a news conference.

Allen Fire Chief John Boyd said at the same press conference that his fire department has taken at least nine victims with gunshot wounds to area hospitals. He did not disclose the condition of the victims, but added that there may have been more injured.

Medical City Healthcare, the Dallas area hospital system, said in a written statement that it is treating eight people between the ages of 5 and 61. Their condition was unknown.

Aerial television images showed hundreds of people walking quietly out of a shopping mall about 40 kilometers northeast of Dallas.

An unidentified witness told local ABC affiliate WFAA TV that the shooter was “walking on the pavement … shooting outside,” adding, “He was shooting almost everywhere. I was there,” he said.

Blood was seen on the sidewalk outside the mall, and white sheets were seen covering what appeared to be a dead body.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called the shooting an “unspeakable tragedy” and said in a written statement the state stands ready to provide any assistance local governments may need. .

Allen, Texas is a community of approximately 100,000 people.

Mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, with at least 198 by 2023, the most since at least 2016, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. The group defines a mass shooting as when four or more of his people, excluding the shooter, are injured or killed.

Some information in this report has been provided by AP.