A man opened fire on Saturday afternoon at a Dallas-area shopping center in the US state of Texas, killing eight people and injuring several others before being shot himself.
This new killing in the United States has sown panic at the Allen Premium Outlets, a large shopping center in the city of Allen, located some 40 kilometers north of Dallas, where many customers had come to do their weekend shopping .
A police officer was on the scene for another case when shots rang out around 3:30 p.m., local police chief Brian Harvey said.
The agent “surrendered [sur les lieux] shots, confronted the suspect and incapacitated” the individual, the official said.
CCTV footage released by CNN shows the shooter getting out of a sedan in the shopping center parking lot and opening fire, without knowing his motive.
He was wearing paramilitary gear and carrying an assault rifle, according to media reports. His identity has not been released by the authorities.
“Unspeakable tragedy”
Six people lost their lives at the scene and two others died in hospital. Three of the seven injured required emergency surgery, Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said.
Among those injured in the shooting is a 5-year-old child, according to a hospital official quoted by NBC News.
State Governor Greg Abbott lamented an “unspeakable tragedy”. Texas is one of the most permissive US states when it comes to carrying guns.
Joe Biden denounced a “senseless act of violence” in a statement on Sunday morning and ordered flags to be lowered above the White House and federal and military public buildings in tribute to the victims.
Local authorities praised the action of the police officer who shot the shooter.
“I want to salute the police and firefighters for their rapid response,” said Allen Mayor Ken Fulk, assuring that their “thorough” training undoubtedly helped “save lives”.
Chaos
“Allen is a safe and proud city, which makes this senseless act of violence all the more shocking,” the mayor added.
Steven Spainhouer, a witness at the scene, explained that he tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate several victims, including a woman.
“I tried to take her pulse, I turned her head to the side and she had no face,” he told CBS deeply moved.
The man says he also rescued a child who survived being protected by the body of his mother, who was killed. “He was covered from head to toe in blood, as if someone had poured it on him.”
“It’s a situation I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It’s just unimaginable to see such carnage,” he added.
Jaynal Pervez, another witness interviewed by CBS, described seeing “shoes [et] people’s phones on the street.
This new drama is part of a close series of killings, notably in Texas, where five people, including a 9-year-old child, were killed the previous weekend by a man armed with an assault rifle.
“As we pray for Allen’s families, Texas must call for statewide and nationwide action to prevent violent people from having easy access to guns,” the Texas politician said on Sunday. Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, Member of the House of Representatives on Twitter.
With more guns than people, the United States has the highest gun death rate of any developed country: 49,000 in 2021, down from 45,000 in 2020.
The Gun Violence Archive site has already recorded more than 199 acts in the United States this year where four or more people were injured or killed by gunshots.
