People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting, in Allen, Texas, on Saturday.
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People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting, in Allen, Texas, on Saturday.
LM Otero/AP
Police on Saturday responded to an active shooter at an outlet mall in the Dallas, Texas, suburb of Allen. Local media reports say there are multiple victims, but police have yet to provide any official information.
Witnesses say shots rang out at the Allen Premium Outlets on Saturday afternoon at around 3:40 p.m. A duty officer at the Allen Police Department confirmed to NPR that there had been a shooting at the mall, but declined to provide further information.
Video posted to social media showed numerous police vehicles, armored trucks and ambulances, and scores of people being evacuated from the area. WFAA television reported that there were multiple victims, including children. The station quoted the Collin County Sheriff as saying the shooter is dead.
The Dallas office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said in a tweet that it was also responding to the active shooter incident.
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott issued a statement saying he had been in contact with Allen Mayor Ken Fulk and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw. “Our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas tonight during this unspeakable tragedy,” the governor said, adding that he had “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.”
Allen, with a population of about 109,000 people, is located about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.
This story originally appeared on NPR
