US: Suspect dead after shooting at Texas outlet mall

Authorities in the southern US state of Texas confirmed a shooting has taken place at an outlet mall in a suburb of Dallas on Saturday.

Authorities said at least nine people were taken to the hospital. They also did not say whether any shoppers had been killed — but a suspected shooter was killed by a police officer at the scene, according to the Allen Police Department.

What we know so far

The shooting took place at the Allen Premium Outlets mall located in the city of Allen, located around 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Dallas. The shooting began around 3:30 p.m. (2030 UTC).

The Allen Police Department said that "nine victims" have been transported to local hospitals. Authorities did not immediately comment on their status.

Local news station WFAA, citing the local sheriff's office, reported that children were among those injured.

Footage and images from the scene of the mall showed police officers working to clear people from the mall.

Witnesses report multiple bodies at outlet mall

Shoppers cleared from the mall said they saw several bodies covered in sheets when they were given the all-clear to leave the stores they were hiding in.

"I pray it wasn't kids, but it looked like kids," 35-year-old Fontayne Payton told the Associated Press. "It broke me when I walked out to see that."

One man whose daughter was at the mall when the shooting took place told CNN he rushed to the scene.

"There's no more safe places. I don't know what to do," Jaynal Pervez told the US news outlet.

Shootings frequent in the US

Gun violence occurs regularly in the United States, where there are more firearms than inhabitants.

Data from the Gun Violence Archive shows there have been more than 195 mass shootings in 2023 so far. May 6, 2023, is the 126th day of the year.

The group defines mass shootings as those in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.