8 killed and 7 wounded in Texas mall shooting

Eight people were killed in a shooting at an outlet mall near Dallas, Texas, and seven victims are being treated at trauma facilities, officials said Saturday night. The gunman, who authorities believe was acting alone, is also dead, Report informs via CNN.

Allen, Texas, Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said that at least nine people were sent to hospitals. “Of those that we transported, two have since died. Three are in critical surgery, and four are stable,” said Boyd.

A Dallas-area medical group says it was treating victims as young as 5 years old.

Authorities in Allen responded to the afternoon shooting at Allen Premium Outlets, prompting shoppers and workers to hide.

There was a search for a second gunman, according to a source, but police now say they believe the shooter acted alone. Police said an Allen officer killed the shooter.

The mass shooting in Allen is the latest in a relentless series of gun violence across the nation that has brought terror to supermarkets, schools, hospitals and other places typically considered safe. It comes just days after a gunman became enraged during a visit to an Atlanta medical facility, allegedly shooting dead at least one person with a handgun and injuring four others before he was caught hours later.

The attack is one of at least 199 mass shootings this year in the US with four or more people shot, excluding a gunman, according to the Gun Violence Archive.