- Police responded to a mass shooting at Allen Premium Outlets just outside of Dallas, Texas.
- Authorities confirmed 9 dead, including suspected shooter, while 7 are being treated at hospitals.
At least 8 people were killed by a gunman in a mass shooting at an outlet mall near the Dallas area on Saturday afternoon, according to authorities.
In a press conference that evening, Allen Fire Department Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people, including the shooter, were dead at the scene. Two more people died after they were transported to local hospitals. Seven were still hospitalized at the time of the conference, with three in "critical surgery," he said.
Calls about shots being fired came in about 3:40 p.m. from the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, a suburb about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas with roughly 105,000 residents.
A video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot while gunfire could be heard.
One unidentified employee at the mall told WFAA that the suspected shooter was indiscriminately shooting his gun from outside.
"He was just shooting his gun everywhere, for the most part," the employee said.
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A police officer fatally shot the gunman. Three law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity identified the shooter as Mauricio Garcia, a 33-year-old man.
People familiar with the investigation told The Washington Post that Garcia was a local resident and may have held white supremacist or neo-Nazi beliefs. They spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about an ongoing investigation.
Garcia wore a patch on his chest that said "RWDS," an acronym for Right Wing Death Squad, the people told the Post. Investigators also found weapons on his body and five guns inside his nearby car, people familiar with the investigation told the newspaper.
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is now handling the investigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Saturday afternoon, more than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing blocked an entrance to the mall, with multiple ambulances on the scene. A live aerial broadcast from WFAA showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles stationed outside the sprawling outdoor mall. Ambulances from several neighboring cities responded to the scene.
The Dallas office of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also responded.
Allen Police Department Chief Brian Harvey said in a news conference that authorities believe the shooter acted alone.
In a statement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he has reached out to Allen Mayor Ken Fulk and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw in light of the shooting.
"Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas, tonight during this unspeakable tragedy," he said. "I have been in contact with Mayor Fulk and DPS Director McCraw as well as other state and local leaders and offered the full support of the State of Texas to local officials to ensure all needed assistance and resources are swiftly deployed, including DPS officers, Texas Rangers, and investigative resources."
This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.