Investigators working to identify victims in Allen Premium Outlets shooting
DALLAS – Churches across Dallas-Fort Worth were hosting services Sunday morning to remember the lives of the eight people killed in Saturday’s mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets as investigators continue to work to identify the dead and determine why a gunman dressed in tactical gear opened fire on innocents.
As of 9 a.m. Sunday, police had not identified the gunman, who was also killed, or any of the victims. Seven others were injured; three people were in critical condition, while four people were stable, according to authorities.
All entrances to the mall were blocked off Sunday as investigators continued to process the crime scene.
Saturday’s shooting at Allen Premium Outlets was the 20th mass murder – four or more people killed in a single incident – in the United States this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings across the country. It was one of 199 mass shootings this year, which the Gun Violence Archive defines as four or more people killed or injured, not including the shooter.
The Allen mass shooting was the second-deadliest to take place in the United States this year, behind a Jan. 21 shooting at a Monterey Park, California, ballroom that killed 12.
Just after 3:30 p.m., Allen police said an officer who was nearby on an unrelated call heard gunfire at the mall in the 800 block of West Stacy Road, near U.S. Highway 75.
According to police, the officer “engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat” and then called for emergency responders.
The shooter, who police said acted alone, was one of seven people declared dead on the scene. Two others died at a hospital.
“Our hearts are with the individuals and families impacted by this tragic event,” police wrote in a tweet.
A potential motive for the shooting, which took place on a busy shopping day in the middle of prom and graduation season, has not been determined.
President Joe Biden on Sunday ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff through May 11 to honor the victims of Saturday’s shooting.
Videos show shooting, devastating aftermath
A video circulating on social media showed the moment when the gunman, driving a gray Dodge Charger, stopped in the middle of a parking row at the outlet mall, flung his door open and began shooting at shoppers on the sidewalk outside.
In the video, which appears to have been shot from the in-car camera of a nearby vehicle, the gunman shows no hesitation as he aims a rifle toward shoppers and opens fire outside the H&M. At least two dozen gunshots can be heard in an initial volley as other vehicles flee the parking lot. The gunman advances toward the sidewalk, continuing to shoot.
Another video showed the crushing aftermath of that first volley, as shoppers, including a child, lay injured or dead outside the clothing store.
In helicopter footage taken later, which appears to show the same location, four bodies are covered by white sheets.
Another video, taken from inside a Fatburger restaurant at the mall, shows the body of the gunman. A pair of glasses and a rifle with an extended magazine lay nearby.