ALLEN, Texas (AP) — Hundreds of terrified shoppers fled in panic after a gunman stepped out of a silver sedan and opened fire at a Dallas-area outlet mall, killing eight and wounding seven before being killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby, authorities said.
The shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday was the latest eruption of what has been an unprecedented pace of mass killings in the U.S. Barely a week before, authorities say, a man fatally shot five people in Cleveland, Texas, after a neighbor asked him to stop firing his weapon while a baby slept.

LM Otero – staff, AP
A law enforcement officer walks at a shopping center after a shooting Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas.
Police did not immediately provide details about the victims at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center, but witnesses reported seeing children among them. Some said they also saw what appeared to be a police officer and a mall security guard unconscious on the ground.
A 16-year-old pretzel stand employee, Maxwell Gum, described a virtual stampede of shoppers. He and others sheltered in a storage room.
“We started running. Kids were getting trampled,” Gum said. “My co-worker picked up a 4-year-old girl and gave her to her parents.”
Dashcam video circulating online showed the gunman getting out of a car and shooting at people on the sidewalk. More than three dozen shots could be heard as the vehicle that was recording the video drove off.
Allen Fire Chief Jonathan Boyd said seven people including the shooter died at the scene. Nine victims were taken to area hospitals, but two of them died.
Three of the wounded were in critical condition in the evening, Boyd said, and four were stable.
An Allen Police Department officer was in the area on an unrelated call when he heard shots at 3:36 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook.

Uncredited – television, WFAA
In this frame grab from video provided by WFAA, people are evacuated from Allen Premium Outlet, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas. Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting at the outlet mall, in the Dallas area.
“The officer engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat. He then called for emergency personnel,” the post said.
Mass killings are happening with staggering frequency in the United States this year: an average of about one per week, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
President Biden was briefed on the shooting in Allen and the administration offered support to local officials, the White House said. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has signed laws easing firearms restrictions following past mass shootings, called the mall shooting an “unspeakable tragedy.”
A live aerial broadcast from a news station showed armored trucks and other law enforcement vehicles outside the mall. More than 30 police cruisers with lights flashing blocked an entrance, with multiple ambulances on the scene in the city of roughly 105,000 residents about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of downtown Dallas.
Video shared on social media showed people running through a parking lot amid the sound of gunshots.
Fontayne Payton, 35, was at H&M when he heard the sound of gunshots through his headphones.
“It was so loud, it sounded like it was right outside,” Payton said.
People in the store scattered before employees ushered the group into the fitting rooms and then a lockable back room, he said. When they were given the all-clear to leave, Payton saw the store had broken windows and a trail of blood to the door. Discarded sandals and bloodied clothes lay nearby.
Once outside, Payton saw bodies.
“I pray it wasn’t kids, but it looked like kids,” he said. The bodies were covered in white towels, slumped over bags on the ground. “It broke me when I walked out to see that.”
Further away, he saw the body of a heavyset man wearing all black. He assumed it was the shooter, Payton said, because unlike the other bodies it had not been covered.

LM Otero – staff, AP
People raise their hands as they leave a shopping center following reports of a shooting, Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Allen, Texas.
Tarakram Nunna, 25, and Ramakrishna Mullapudi, 26, said they saw what appeared to be three people motionless on the ground, including one who appeared to be a police officer and another who seemed to be a mall security guard.
Another shopper, Sharkie Mouli, 24, said he hid in a Banana Republic during the shooting. As he left, he saw what appeared to be an unconscious police officer lying next to another unconscious person outside the outlet store.
“I have seen his gun lying right next to him and a guy who is like passing out right next to him,” Mouli said.
Stan and Mary Ann Greene were browsing in a Columbia sportswear store when the shooting started.
“We had just gotten in, just a couple minutes earlier, and we just heard a lot of loud popping,” Mary Ann Greene told The Associated Press.
Employees rolled down the security gate and brought everyone to the rear of the store until police arrived and escorted them out, the Greenes said.
Eber Romero was at an Under Armour store when a cashier mentioned there was a shooting.
As he left, Romero said, the mall appeared empty and all the shops had their security gates down. That is when he started seeing broken glass and victims of the shooting on the floor of the shopping center.
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Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
Ron Adar // Shutterstock
Since the start of 2023, the United States has averaged more than one mass shooting per day. The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group that tracks gun violence using police reports, government sources, news coverage, and other public data, counted 106 mass shootings in 2023 as of March 9—a period of 68 days.
No official, universal definition of what constitutes a mass shooting currently exists. Groups define it differently based on the number of victims, whether they are killed or injured, whether the shooting occurs in a public or private space, and whether the shooter targets victims. The Gun Violence Archive defines it as an event in which at least four people were killed or injured.
The lack of a consistent definition creates opportunities for people to interpret the data differently, making it difficult for lawmakers to establish a set of agreed-upon facts upon which to address the issue of gun control.
For example, using a much narrower definition of a mass shooting, security specialists who drafted a 2013 congressional report identified just 78 mass shooting events between 1983 and 2012. This figure starkly contrasts the GVA's findings for 2014, which determined 273 mass shootings had occurred that year alone.
As to more recent figures, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 647 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022. Compared to this time last year, mass shootings in 2023 are outpacing last year's rate. Stacker cited data from the Gun Violence Archive to visualize the scope of mass shootings thus far in 2023. Data is as of March 7, 2023.
You may also like: From Stonewall to today: 50+ years of modern LGBTQ+ history

Ron Adar // Shutterstock
Since the start of 2023, the United States has averaged more than one mass shooting per day. The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit group that tracks gun violence using police reports, government sources, news coverage, and other public data, counted 106 mass shootings in 2023 as of March 9—a period of 68 days.
No official, universal definition of what constitutes a mass shooting currently exists. Groups define it differently based on the number of victims, whether they are killed or injured, whether the shooting occurs in a public or private space, and whether the shooter targets victims. The Gun Violence Archive defines it as an event in which at least four people were killed or injured.
The lack of a consistent definition creates opportunities for people to interpret the data differently, making it difficult for lawmakers to establish a set of agreed-upon facts upon which to address the issue of gun control.
For example, using a much narrower definition of a mass shooting, security specialists who drafted a 2013 congressional report identified just 78 mass shooting events between 1983 and 2012. This figure starkly contrasts the GVA's findings for 2014, which determined 273 mass shootings had occurred that year alone.
As to more recent figures, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 647 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022. Compared to this time last year, mass shootings in 2023 are outpacing last year's rate. Stacker cited data from the Gun Violence Archive to visualize the scope of mass shootings thus far in 2023. Data is as of March 7, 2023.
You may also like: From Stonewall to today: 50+ years of modern LGBTQ+ history

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Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
Emma Rubin // Stacker
Several of the states where mass shootings have occurred this year are those that don't require gun owners to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. However, some of the most high-profile mass shootings of this year, like those in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, California, and Washington D.C., happened in states with stricter gun laws.
Gun violence in the U.S. is a complex problem with many contributing factors beyond state laws. A 2022 study from Everytown for Gun Safety comparing state laws to rates of gun violence, however, shows a correlation between the two. States with the most restrictions on gun users also have the lowest rates of gun-related deaths, while states with fewer regulations have a higher death rate from guns.
At 120 firearms per 100 residents, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned guns than people, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey.
Emma Rubin // Stacker
Several of the states where mass shootings have occurred this year are those that don't require gun owners to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. However, some of the most high-profile mass shootings of this year, like those in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, California, and Washington D.C., happened in states with stricter gun laws.
Gun violence in the U.S. is a complex problem with many contributing factors beyond state laws. A 2022 study from Everytown for Gun Safety comparing state laws to rates of gun violence, however, shows a correlation between the two. States with the most restrictions on gun users also have the lowest rates of gun-related deaths, while states with fewer regulations have a higher death rate from guns.
At 120 firearms per 100 residents, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned guns than people, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey.
-
-
Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
Emma Rubin // Stacker
This year, shooters have attacked people at college campuses, cultural celebrations, gas stations, private residences, downtowns, and even on highways.
The deadliest single event to date remains the Jan 21. shooting in Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and wounded nine others at a dance hall in an Asian American community during a Lunar New Year celebration.
Nine mass shooting incidents occurred between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19—the most of any weekend in 2023. That weekend, nine children were shot at a gas station in Georgia, six people were shot on I-57 in Chicago, leaving one toddler dead, and five people, including one 4-year-old, were shot at a parade in New Orleans.
Firearms are the leading cause of death in people under the age of 24 years in the U.S., according to a study published in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics in December 2022.
Emma Rubin // Stacker
This year, shooters have attacked people at college campuses, cultural celebrations, gas stations, private residences, downtowns, and even on highways.
The deadliest single event to date remains the Jan 21. shooting in Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and wounded nine others at a dance hall in an Asian American community during a Lunar New Year celebration.
Nine mass shooting incidents occurred between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19—the most of any weekend in 2023. That weekend, nine children were shot at a gas station in Georgia, six people were shot on I-57 in Chicago, leaving one toddler dead, and five people, including one 4-year-old, were shot at a parade in New Orleans.
Firearms are the leading cause of death in people under the age of 24 years in the U.S., according to a study published in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics in December 2022.
-
Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
Emma Rubin // Stacker
Several of the states where mass shootings have occurred this year are those that don't require gun owners to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. However, some of this year's most high-profile mass shootings, like those in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, California, and Washington D.C., happened in states with stricter gun laws.
Gun violence in the U.S. is a complex problem with many contributing factors beyond state laws. A 2022 study from Everytown for Gun Safety comparing state laws to rates of gun violence, however, shows a correlation between the two. States with the most restrictions on gun users also have the lowest rates of gun-related deaths, while states with fewer regulations have a higher death rate from guns.
At 120 firearms per 100 residents, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned guns than people, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey.
Emma Rubin // Stacker
Several of the states where mass shootings have occurred this year are those that don't require gun owners to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. However, some of this year's most high-profile mass shootings, like those in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, California, and Washington D.C., happened in states with stricter gun laws.
Gun violence in the U.S. is a complex problem with many contributing factors beyond state laws. A 2022 study from Everytown for Gun Safety comparing state laws to rates of gun violence, however, shows a correlation between the two. States with the most restrictions on gun users also have the lowest rates of gun-related deaths, while states with fewer regulations have a higher death rate from guns.
At 120 firearms per 100 residents, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned guns than people, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey.
-
-
Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
Emma Rubin // Stacker
This year, shooters have attacked people at college campuses, cultural celebrations, gas stations, private residences, downtowns, highways, and most recently, elementary schools.
The deadliest single event to date remains the Jan 21. shooting in Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and wounded nine others at a dance hall in an Asian American community during a Lunar New Year celebration.
Nine mass shooting incidents occurred between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19—the most of any weekend in 2023. That weekend, nine children were shot at a gas station in Georgia, six people were shot on I-57 in Chicago leaving one toddler dead, and five people, including a 4-year-old, were shot at a parade in New Orleans.
Emma Rubin // Stacker
This year, shooters have attacked people at college campuses, cultural celebrations, gas stations, private residences, downtowns, highways, and most recently, elementary schools.
The deadliest single event to date remains the Jan 21. shooting in Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and wounded nine others at a dance hall in an Asian American community during a Lunar New Year celebration.
Nine mass shooting incidents occurred between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19—the most of any weekend in 2023. That weekend, nine children were shot at a gas station in Georgia, six people were shot on I-57 in Chicago leaving one toddler dead, and five people, including a 4-year-old, were shot at a parade in New Orleans.
-
Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
Emma Rubin // Stacker
Several of the states where mass shootings have occurred this year are those that don't require gun owners to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons. However, some of the most high-profile mass shootings of this year, like those in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, California, and Washington D.C., happened in states with stricter gun laws.
Gun violence in the U.S. is a complex problem with many contributing factors beyond state laws; however, a 2022 study from Everytown for Gun Safety comparing state laws to rates of gun violence shows a correlation between the two. States with the most restrictions on gun users also have the lowest rates of gun-related deaths, while states with fewer regulations have a higher death rate from guns.
At 120 firearms per 100 residents, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned guns than people, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey.
Emma Rubin // Stacker
Several of the states where mass shootings have occurred this year are those that don't require gun owners to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons. However, some of the most high-profile mass shootings of this year, like those in Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park, California, and Washington D.C., happened in states with stricter gun laws.
Gun violence in the U.S. is a complex problem with many contributing factors beyond state laws; however, a 2022 study from Everytown for Gun Safety comparing state laws to rates of gun violence shows a correlation between the two. States with the most restrictions on gun users also have the lowest rates of gun-related deaths, while states with fewer regulations have a higher death rate from guns.
At 120 firearms per 100 residents, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned guns than people, according to the 2018 Small Arms Survey.
-
-
Top 2024 hopefuls to address NRA convention after shootings
Emma Rubin // Stacker
This year, shooters have attacked people at schools, cultural celebrations, gas stations, private residences, downtowns, highways, and most recently, workplaces.
The deadliest single event to date remains the Jan 21. shooting in Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and wounded nine others at a dance hall in an Asian American community during a Lunar New Year celebration.
Nine mass shooting incidents occurred between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19—the most of any weekend in 2023. That weekend, nine children were shot at a gas station in Georgia, six people were shot on I-57 in Chicago leaving one toddler dead, and five people, including a 4-year-old, were shot at a parade in New Orleans.
Emma Rubin // Stacker
This year, shooters have attacked people at schools, cultural celebrations, gas stations, private residences, downtowns, highways, and most recently, workplaces.
The deadliest single event to date remains the Jan 21. shooting in Monterey Park, California, where a gunman killed 11 people and wounded nine others at a dance hall in an Asian American community during a Lunar New Year celebration.
Nine mass shooting incidents occurred between Feb. 17 and Feb. 19—the most of any weekend in 2023. That weekend, nine children were shot at a gas station in Georgia, six people were shot on I-57 in Chicago leaving one toddler dead, and five people, including a 4-year-old, were shot at a parade in New Orleans.
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