CNN
—
Authorities in a suburb of Dallas are responding to a shooting at an outlet mall, with ATF personnel on the scene at Allen Premium Outlets.
There is at least one confirmed shooter who is being reported as deceased on the ground, a law enforcement source told CNN.
There is a search for a possible second gunman, according to the source, based on descriptions from witnesses, although the involvement of a second shooter is not confirmed.
Police believe they have identified the vehicle of the deceased suspect, which is being examined by the bomb squad as a precaution, the source says.
The Dallas field office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tweeted Saturday afternoon that personnel were responding to an active shooter incident at the mall.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called it an “unspeakable tragedy,” saying in a statement that “our hearts are with the people of Allen, Texas.”
Jaynal Pervez told CNN affiliate KTVT that he arrived at the mall after his daughter, who was inside, called to inform him about a shooting.
“We saw the police outside the door, and they told us we had to go, and that they are still looking for the person,” Pervez said. “There’s no more safe places. I don’t know what to do.”
Police in Allen asked residents to avoid the area.
Tony Wright, an Allen resident whose home backs up to the Allen Premium Outlets, said his family thought they heard construction before they realized it was gunshots.
Wright said he was driving away from his house at the time and didn’t hear the gunshots himself, but his family called him moments later, “freaking out,” and saying they heard gunfire.
Initially, however, it wasn’t clear.
“Everyone thought it was hammering,” he said of the noise of gunfire that sounded like construction.
But he said once they saw people fleeing the outlet mall, the family locked the doors and hunkered down.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
