Texas officials responded to a shooting that killed multiple people at Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon. Collin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Fox News that Allen Police Department officers were on the scene.
Multiple people were killed, though the exact number is not known. Police chief Brian Harvey said at a Saturday evening presser that a police officer was on an unrelated call nearby when gunshots erupted at Allen Premium Outlets at 3:36 p.m.
The officer “engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat,” according to police. A law enforcement source told Fox News that the suspected shooter is dead.
Harvey said that nine people were transported to local hospitals by Allen Fire Department, but it is unknown how many were killed. The number of injured people may be larger, as victims could have been transported to hospitals through different means.
A Medical City Healthcare spokesperson told FOX 4 Dallas that their facilities were treating eight victims between the ages of 5 and 61 years old.
The ATF Dallas Field Division announced that it was responding to an active shooting situation on Twitter earlier on Saturday. FBI officials were also on scene.
Operations Administrator Joshua W. Barnwell told FOX 4 Dallas that he heard at least 30 gunshots and saw around 60 rounds of ammunition on the ground. A mother who was at the mall with her daughter said she heard popping noises and saw sparks flying.
“We were outside the Converse store and we just heard all this popping,” Elaine Penicaro explained to FOX 4. “We kind of all just stopped, and then a second later, just ‘Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,’ and there were sparks flying like it was right in front of us.” Allen Police Department asked everyone to avoid the area in a statement on Twitter.
